The SA Post Office has warned the public to be on alert of a parcel delivery scam designed to defraud them.
In a media release, SAPO described the modus operandi.
Members of the public received phone calls by persons alleging to be from the Customs division of the SA Post Office, SAPO said. The caller informs them that a parcel is ready for collection – provided they first pay ‘customs fees’ into a bank account.
“The SA Post Office does not require customers to make any bank deposit before parcels are released,” SAPO said. “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 point-of-sale receipt for this payment.”
Where the Post Office has the cellphone number of the recipient, the customer would receive an SMS requesting him or her to collect the parcel at a specific Post Office branch. The SMS would not request that funds be deposited into an account.
Members of the public that have information regarding this scam, are requested to call the police or the Post Office’s Crimebuster Hotline on 0800 020 070.
The SA Post Office advised the public to ignore communication of this nature.
