Kolkata: Kolkata Police and cyber experts have issued an urgent warning about a “festive delivery scam” targeting households during the holiday season.Police said scammers are using fake parcel deliveries, unexpected gifts and unsolicited cash-on-delivery packages to trick people. In many cases, fraudsters pose as delivery agents or contact victims by phone, SMS or WhatsApp.They ask people to pay a small charge, scan a QR code or click a link to verify or cancel the delivery. Once a person clicks the link or scans the code, scammers may steal banking details, install harmful apps, access the phone or trick the victim into approving UPI payments.Police said the fake links often lead to websites that look like genuine delivery portals. These sites are designed to steal bank details, Aadhaar and PAN information, passwords and other sensitive data.Citizens have been advised not to accept or pay for any parcel they did not order. They should also check with family members before accepting any unexpected delivery.Police said genuine delivery companies do not ask people to scan QR codes, make advance UPI payments or click links to cancel a shipment.People should never share OTPs, ATM PINs, CVVs, UPI PINs or passwords with delivery agents, callers or unknown persons. If someone receives an unexpected gift, they should confirm it directly with the sender using a trusted phone number.Anyone who loses money or notices suspicious activity should immediately call the National Cyber Crime Helpline at 1930, file a complaint on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal and contact their bank to freeze the affected account.
