FedEx’s advisory after India Today journalist’s digital arrest ordeal

Fraudsters impersonating employees of courier companies like FedEx to lure the victim into transferring money is the latest scam that has emerged as a worrying trend across the country. Despite several advisories, people falling victims to the ‘FedEx courier scam’ remains unabated. Amid an increasing number of courier scams, FedEx has advised individuals receiving suspicious calls or messages to refrain from sharing personal information and report to the cybercrime department.
“FedEx does not request personal information through unsolicited phone calls, mail, or email for goods being shipped or held, unless requested or initiated by customers. Individuals should immediately contact the local law enforcement authorities within the vicinity or report to the cybercrime department of the government of India,” FedEx said in a statement.
The courier company’s statement came after an India Today journalist received a call from a person impersonating a FedEx employee, who claimed her Aadhaar number was linked to a parcel containing drugs. While the journalist saw through the scam, several people have fallen prey to it and lost lakhs of rupees.
The fraud begins with a phone call from someone claiming to be from FedEx customer service. The scammer informs the unsuspecting caller that a package linked to their Aadhaar number has been seized by the Mumbai customs department as it contained illegal items like narcotics and banned drugs.
Even before the victim could come to terms with it, the fake FedEx representative transfers the call to an alleged senior officer of the Mumbai Police Cyber Cell. In some cases, the scammers also contact relatives or friends of the victim and tell them that he/she has been linked to a money laundering case.
It is here that fear psychosis kicks in. The victim then receives a video call from an individual posing as a police officer, who demands sensitive information like Aadhaar details and PAN card number. Exploiting fears of legal repercussions, the victim is then asked to transfer money. Once it is done, the fraudsters disappear.
In certain cases, the victims are “digitally arrested”, where they are forced to stay visible over video calls with the fake police officer until the money is transferred.
The whole operation is done meticulously. The scammers also use studios to replicate police stations or government offices. They also wear uniforms similar to those of police officers.
Several victims around the country have reported having lost large sums of money to such courier scams.
Recently, a Bengaluru-based lawyer was defrauded of Rs 15 lakh by cybercriminals impersonating FedEx employees. The lawyer was ‘digitally arrested’ and coerced into stripping under the guise of a “narcotics test”. The 36-hour ordeal ended after she transferred Rs 15 lakh to the scammers, who threatened to leak the video online.
In January, a 70-year-old journalist fell prey to cyber fraudsters and was duped of Rs 1.20 crore. The modus operandi was the same, with the scammers posing as FedEx courier staff and a Narcotics Control Bureau official.
According to a report, 163 such cases have been registered in Bengaluru alone, with the total loss amounting to Rs 5 crore.
In August, a doctor from Lucknow’s Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences lost Rs 2.8 crore in a similar scam. The ordeal lasted from August 1 to 10, during which the caller claimed he was from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India. The doctor was told that 22 complaints of harassment had been registered against her number in Mumbai.