The Judiciary Police (PJ) announced in a statement yesterday that they were informed by the public of SMS messages from fake courier companies asking for additional fee payments for unsuccessful parcel deliveries.
According to the statement, the messages ask recipients to log into the enclosed website, key in personal information and pay additional fees for unsuccessful parcel deliveries due to purported interferences caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the statement underlined.
The statement pointed out that with similar cases involving financial losses reported to the police, members of the public are advised to “continue to stay vigilant and safeguard their personal information”, noting that caution and verification through reliable means should be exercised if such text messages are received.
The statement emphasised that preventive measures should also be taken, including staying vigilant if unsolicited phone calls, messages or emails are received and ensuring to “verify the sender’s identity through reliable sources” when it comes to disclosing personal and financial information.
Moreover, the statement urged the public not to click on unsolicited links or photos to secure personal information, as well as protect their personal computers or mobile phones from virus attacks. Anti-virus software should also be regularly installed and updated on personal devices.
The statement added that the public should also be aware of “phishing websites” and verify if web addresses provided are identical to official ones.
TechTarget defines phishing websites as “a domain similar in name and appearance to an official website”.
The statement pointed out that crime prevention tips can also be shared with family and friends to protect them from fraud.
Those who suspect that they have been victims of scams or other crimes should call PJ’s Anti-fraud hotline on 8800 7777 or crime report hotline on 993, the statement stressed.
This poster provided by the Judiciary Police (PJ) yesterday warns the public of the ongoing parcel scam.
