It was around the first quarter of this year that a scam involving parcels (also known as the FedEx scam) was first brought to light, with several scam alert messages doing the rounds on Whatsapp. Despite mass messages issued in public interest, and news pieces alerting people, a few months down the line, Bengalureans have lost Rs 65.19 crore to the FedEx scam. In just five months to be precise.
What made the scam such a hit with fraudsters?
Stuck FedEx parcels and automated caller machines were very novel at the time. Unsuspecting victims would be scammed into pressing 1 (or any number) to find out why their parcel has been rejected or stuck. Considering who isn't awaiting a parcel or two at any given time, the sheer scale or potential of the gullible victims has been a win-win for fraudsters.
As many as 521 cases have been reported till May, which is a 71% jump compared to the entire last year. When quantified in terms of money, Bengalureans have lost Rs 65.19 crore to this fraud alone in the first five months of this year. Reportedly, in 2023, people lost about Rs 30.81 crore to the fraud. Of the reported 521 cases, the highest number of cases were recorded in the Whitefield division, where people lost over Rs 14.73 crore.
The scam has changed its modus operandi several times. It sometimes started by luring victims with a simple phone call, informing them that their parcel had been stuck with the narco-authorities. Panic and fear further affect the victims' ability to think.
Scamsters upgrade their means and ways
The New Indian Express quoted Cyber police officials as saying that fraudsters begin with a deceptive phone call, posing themselves as representatives of FedEx. To make the scam appear more authentic and lend credibility, the scamsters have introduced video calls. Over these video calls, fake officials appear, who direct the unsuspecting victims to a 'police officer.'
Reportedly, the scam has acquired technical prowess and sophistry to trap even the clever and savvy victims. Reportedly, there is a higher use of mule accounts to receive and reroute money, spoofed numbers which display fake caller IDs, voice modulation to disguise the caller's voice and payment getaways hosted on servers located outside the country for processing transactions.
A lawyer, a journalist in the grip of the scam!
The cyber police officials also highlighted that even educated, tech-savvy people have fallen prey to the scam. In one instance, cyber fraudsters even managed to coerce a woman lawyer to strip in front of the camera, hold her in digital arrest for as many as 36 hours and duped her of Rs 15 lakh. If that sounds unbelievable, there's another reported incident where a 70-year-old journalist was manipulated and digitally arrested for eight days.
Along with the technical prowess, the complexity of the crime has increased, in such a way that the mastermind is shielded. With 100 mule accounts used to redirect funds, catching the mastermind has become an inundating task for crime officials.
Disclaimer from FedEx
On its part, the global courier company has clarified that it does not seek personal information through unsolicited phone calls, mail or email for goods being shipped or held. If any individual receives suspicious phone calls or messages, they are advised to report the matter to law enforcement agencies.
Fake SBI app was used to empty scores of accounts
FedEx has not been the only mass cyber crime to have happened in the last couple of years. In another pan-India scam, last year, a fake SBI app was used to empty scores of accounts. The 23 people behind the cybercrime, were, however, arrested by Delhi Police's Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Ops wing. The criminals created a fake SBI app, asked users to update their KYC information for using the app, posed as bank officials and swindled scores of accounts.
