How to protect yourself from the ‘India post’ scam

Received this message from India Post. fake msg carrying a title of India Post which is one of the country’s top postal services. The scam alerts recipients to the failure of a delivery due to incomplete address information and requests that they click on a link @IndiaPostOffice pic.twitter.com/4mZMmX6T3x

— Neha Anand (@Neha_anand11) June 12, 2024

Here is what you need to know about the scam, and how to keep yourself safe.

What is the scam?

People have been receiving messages attributed to India Post from random phone numbers and email addresses. The message reads:

“Your package has arrived at the warehouse and we attempted delivery twice but were unable to due to incomplete address details within 48 hours, otherwise your package will be returned. Please update address in the link: https://indiapostpu.vip/IN… After the update is completed we will redeliver within 24 hours, India Post”

After someone clicks on the provided link, and enters their details, a website resembling the official India Post site appears. The website presents a random tracking ID along with a delivery failure notification, prompting the user to update their address.

The scam aims to steal personal information of the recipients and cause financial harm. Last month, the Press Information Bureau (PIB) Fact Check posted about the message being fake.

Have you also received an SMS from @IndiaPostOffice stating that your package has arrived at the warehouse, further asking you to update your address details within 48 hours to avoid the package being returned ⁉️#PIBFactCheck

✔️Beware! This message is #fake pic.twitter.com/8tRfGDqn1r

— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) June 17, 2024

The post said that “India Post never sends such messages asking for updating addresses for delivering articles… Do not click on such fraudulent links”.

Notably, this fraudulent link only functions on mobile devices and will not open on a desktop. Recipients can verify the message by checking if it works on both devices.

How to stay safe?

Here are some basic safeguards that everyone should take to ensure that they do not fall for this scam, or other similar scams that are prevalent nowadays.

• Never click on links that ask for your personal details;
• Look for language and grammatical errors in the message — these are generally strong indicators of a message being fraudulent;
• Always check the contact details of the sender, and ensure that the message comes from a verified source;
• Instead of submitting the requested details, consider whether you are actually expecting a package — scamsters thrive on people being in a hurry or panicking;
• Always cross check the link provided in a message with that of the original website
• If you fall prey to such a scam, immediately shut your device, alert your bank and register a police complaint