Criminals targeting anyone making home deliveries in South Africa
As the e-commerce and courier sectors are growing in South Africa, cybercriminals are exploiting the rise in parcel deliveries to carry out highly sophisticated courier-related scams.
And along with increased purchases, increased deliveries are also putting couriers and drivers in the crosshairs of hijackers and thieves.
According to the Visa Retail Spend Monitor, South Africans have significantly increased their online shopping, particularly during the 2025/26 holiday season, with e-commerce spending rising by 49.9% year-on-year.
This trend is supported by Trading Economics’ retail trade data from January to April, which shows continued growth across retail, especially in categories popular for household deliveries, such as appliances and clothing.
The South African Courier, Express, and Parcel (CEP) market report also highlights expected growth, projecting an increase from $627.8 million in 2025 to $672.25 million in 2026.
ESET Lead Cybersecurity Engineer, Allan Juma, said this rapid growth in the sector has made it an attractive target for scams.
He explained that fraudsters have evolved beyond simple phishing attempts and are now executing coordinated operations.
They time their messages carefully and replicate real delivery workflows in detail, which poses a significant threat to consumer safety and places immense pressure on businesses.
At the consumer level, Juma said it is crucial to understand the mechanics of these scams before considering the impact on the brands being impersonated.
For instance, a fake delivery message designed to closely resemble a legitimate one might request a small release fee.
This fee is often set low enough to prevent consumers from pausing to think critically. When consumers pay this fee, scammers capture their card details and use them for further fraudulent activity.
Each incident falsely associates itself with a real courier or retailer, regardless of whether those businesses were involved.
Juma said this cost extends beyond the financial loss to the courier and e-commerce organisation.
Credential theft and account takeovers are a direct risk to the company, and can be particularly damaging in e-commerce and banking-adjacent contexts.
There is also the regulatory exposure under POPIA or, for global companies, GDPR, where the misuse of customer data can result in fines and deeper reputational harm.
Jumas said that once a company’s name has been used in a scam, the effects are difficult to reverse.
Couriers in South Africa are being targeted, too, and have been warned to be on alert
The Gauteng Department of Community Safety has advised courier and delivery companies to be alert, as there has been an increase in incidents where courier vehicles are targeted by criminals throughout the province.
The department said that courier drivers are attractive targets for criminals looking to steal valuable parcels, electronic devices and vehicles.
The department has advised courier drivers to stick to planned delivery routes, avoid stopping in isolated areas, and be vigilant about suspicious individuals or vehicles that may be following them.
“Where possible, deliveries should be co-ordinated through secure verification processes, and drivers should avoid displaying valuable items or discussing delivery contents with unauthorised persons,” said the department.
The department urged courier companies to strengthen their security measures by ensuring that vehicles are fitted with functional tracking devices and maintaining regular communication with drivers.
It also urged courier companies to conduct risk assessments of delivery routes and to provide employees with safety awareness and hijacking-response training.
The department emphasised that companies should establish clear emergency protocols to ensure rapid reporting and response during incidents.
Meanwhile, the provincial government is deploying e-Policing solutions, including CCTV cameras, helicopters, and e-Panic buttons, among other technologies, to combat crime.
Law enforcement agencies, in collaboration with private security companies, are increasing their presence to tackle vehicle-related crimes and disrupt criminal networks that target motorists and businesses.
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