Incidents of scamming through using information from empty delivery packages in Malaysia have been reported recently. The Royal Malaysia Police or PDRM issues a warning statement regarding this situation, telling citizens to be extra careful upon throwing their empty delivery package boxes or covers.
A video which went viral online in the country itself has shown an unidentified person in which was caught in the act of looking for the details of the original owner of the thrown delivery package, including the name, address, and mobile phone number of the victim. The delivery package was discarded on to a trash bin set on a public area.
Scammer's Act
The victim was then contacted by the scammer several times, asking, and extorting some money. It was then also confirmed that the scammer had labeled himself as an employee working on the delivery company, and even appeared and showed up at the actual address and the home of the victim. The suspect then asked and demanded a pay for the package in which they "ordered" according to the fraudster but has not been paid yet.
The scammer made the act even more legit and convincing when it was said that the family of the victim who received the parcel were asked to do a scan to a barcode in which it was the only way that the item would be handed over to them.
Datuk Zainuddin Yaacob, the Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigator Department director and commissioner issues the warning statement about the reported incident, yet they would still have to receive formal complaints and reports regarding the concern and incident.
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Although he also mentioned that his department would begin an investigation in the soonest possible time, as per indicated in the Section 240 of the country's Penal Code. If the suspect would be proven guilty of the charges being implied and accused, it will then give a ten-year prison sentence, as well as caning to the suspects for the offences they committed.
The official also urged and convinced the public to come out and report incidents as well if they have also fallen on to the scam being created by the same scammers, or if they as well experienced the same tactic or situation in which they were victimized without even knowing that they fell on to the trap of those suspects.
The Phenomenon of Online Shopping and Delivery
He also reminded everyone of proper disposal of their delivery package covers or boxes, or anything that would most likely contain private information of its owners in order to prevent such kinds of incidents, especially this time of the pandemic brought about by the COVID-19 where people tend to shop and buy online due to strict health protocols and restrictions to public places, including the shopping malls and stores.
The pandemic even gave a huge amount of rise of the sales of many different online shopping and market apps, such as Amazon and eBay to name a few. Almost all the packages that they send to the online shoppers who ordered through the apps would contain information such as the number and address of the buyer.
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