Fake cash-on-delivery scam tricks families into paying, goes viral online

A new cash-on-delivery (COD) fraud has emerged after social media influencer Tvisha Tuli shared a post on Instagram about how she was cheated into paying for non-existent parcels sent via genuine courier services.

In an online video, Tuli had explained that the package of face masks was first sent under a member’s name when there had been no order. Though that parcel was rejected, another package of similar content had arrived days later for another family member. Expecting it to be real, someone in the family had accepted the delivery and paid Rs 700.

“When we opened the package, it wasn’t written on the outside. There was something with Chinese writing inside. Even the QR code on the product couldn’t be scanned, and the money was lost,” she added.

Watch the video here.

According to Tuli, the scam seems to be very targeted, with hackers taking advantage of information about households that constantly use COD. “These criminals obviously have information about which houses order COD frequently and who exactly stays there. They cycle names, change delivery partners, and then accept the COD amount,” she cautioned.

She went on to state that the scam extends beyond older people. “We will also feel that if there has been a courier from Blue Dart, then it must be true,” she pointed out, while going on to explain that courier agencies themselves are not the problem, but their names are being used illegitimately.

In order to create awareness, Tuli shared some tips:

• Always double-check an order prior to payment.
• Alert family members, particularly parents and grandparents, not to assume a package is safe just because it bears their name.
• Immediately report suspicious packages to the courier company.

The fraud is not a one-off. A Reddit user had reported a similar experience in December 2024 when he received a Rs 699 parcel as a COD order. Assuming that his mother had ordered it, he paid for it, but later found that nobody in his household had ordered it. There was an Ayurvedic toothpaste in the package that seemed to have been used before.

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