Hyderabad: In an ominous development that is raising alarm, there has been a marked increase in courier scams, which stood at a staggering 645 cases across the three commissionerates, while the figure was less at 64 cases a year before.
Perpetrators of these scams prey on unsuspecting victims, convincing them to pay fees or fines under the guise of receiving a package. These deceitful schemes often unfold through phone calls or emails, masquerading as legitimate companies or authorities, said inspector Ramesh Kumar, while decoding the modus operandi.
“A techie from Nanakram Guda came to me after losing Rs 4.5 lakh, which he could not recover even after a month. A woman was asked to cough up Rs seven lakh or face serious consequences if she did not take a courier on her name. Fearing for her safety, she paid Rs two lakh initially and then sought help,” he said.
Cyber expert Praveen Tangella said that in cybercrime cases, it's hard to freeze accounts or get back the money that has been lost. There might be a success rate of a maximum of 20 per cent and that too after a deeper investigation.
Cybercrime DCP Shilpavally told Deccan Chronicle, there were 145 courier related cases in Madhapur in the name of Fedex. It totalled up to a whopping Rs 12,98,95,858. We constantly try to educate the public but there is a shortfall. This underscores the severity of the issue and the dire need for preventive measures.”
