The SA Post Office warns the public to be on alert for a parcel delivery scam designed to defraud them.
As part of the scam, people receive phone calls from people pretending to be from the customs division of the SA Post Office.
The caller informs them that a parcel is ready for collection – provided they first pay money into an account.
According to the caller, the money is for customs duties and courier fees.
People are directed to a website that appears similar to the Speed Services website.
The phone number, however, is in the United Kingdom with a prefix of +44.
Customers are also given a PIN which they have to enter before they can “track” the fictitious parcel.
The SA Post Office does not use PIN numbers for its tracking service.
It also does not require customers to make any bank deposit before parcels are released. In instances where SARS levy import tax on parcels from abroad, the import tax must paid at the post office counter when the item is collected. The customer will receive a receipt for this payment.
Where the post office has the cellphone number of the recipient, the customer will receive an SMS requesting him or her to collect the parcel at a specific post office branch.
The SMS will not request that funds be deposited into an account.
The SA Post Office advises the public to ignore communication of this nature and asks that anyone with information regarding this scam, call the police or the SA Post Office’s Crime buster Hotline on 0800 020 070.
