Hyderabad: Retired govt staffer duped of Rs 2 lakhs through fake FedEx helpline

Hyderabad: A 74-year-old retired government employee from Hyderabad lost more than Rs 2 lakhs after finding a scammer’s contact while searching for the FedEx helpline number online.

Case details

According to police records, the victim had sent a parcel to his son in the USA from Cochin, Kerala, through FedEx on September 9. However, when the parcel did not reach the destination as planned, the complainant Googled the FedEx customer care number.

The victim came across a number for ABC Delivery Courier (7439059447) which they contacted to enquire about the parcel’s delay. The person on the other end informed him that his parcel was held up due to some address clarification issues. They instructed him to pay money to resolve the issue and provided another contact number (9263515996).

On the other number, the scammer instructed the victim to pay Rs 2 using PhonePe by entering the first five digits of his phone number, followed by pressing 79938. The victim followed these instructions. The scammer then asked him to enter 19856. From this point, the scammers began deducting money from the victim’s account.

The complainant said that he had lost Rs 2,33,794 from his State Bank of India account. A case has been registered and further investigation is on.

Public advisory

Follow these steps to avoid losing money to online and phone scammers.

- Never respond to emails and embedded links in messages and calls asking you to update or verify KYC i.e. user ID/password/debit card number/PIN/CVV/OTP etc.

- Immediately change your passwords/CVV/PIN if you have accidentally revealed your credentials.

- The scammers generally try to get you to share personal information and financial details during phone call. The scammer might say your account has been compromised or the KYC is pending.

- Bank officials, financial institutions, the RBI and any genuine entity will never ask customers to share confidential information such as username, password, credit card details/CVV/OTP. Never share these confidential details with anyone, even your own family members, and friends.

- Fishing calls generally try to create fear in your mind and most people give their sensitive information. However, if you have any genuine doubt about the safety of your interests, it is advisable to physically visit your bank/finance institution.

- Victims of cyber-crime fraud should report immediately by dialling 1930 or by visiting the National Cyber Crime Portal. The officials can also be reached through the WhatsApp number 8712665171.

Citizens are encouraged to stay vigilant and follow the Cyber Crime Police’s social media pages for regular updates on cybercrime awareness:

• Facebook: cybercrimepolice.gov.in

• Instagram: @cybercrimepshyd

• X: @CyberCrimeshyd

• Email: cybercrimesphyd@gmail.com