The SA Post Office warns the public to be on alert of a parcel delivery scam designed to defraud them.<\/p>\n
Members of the public receive phone calls by persons pretending to be from the Customs division of the SA Post Office.\u00a0 The caller informs them that a parcel is ready for collection \u2013 provided they first pay money into an account.<\/p>\n
According to the caller, the money is for customs duties and courier fees.<\/p>\n
In one instance, a member of the public was requested to pay R1,500 in courier charges and R2,000 in customs fees, it said.<\/p>\n
Members of the public are directed to a website that appears similar to the Speed Services website.\u00a0 The phone number, however, is in the United Kingdom with a prefix of +44.<\/p>\n
Customers are also given a pin which they have to enter before they can \u2018track\u2019 the fictitious parcel.\u00a0 The Post Office stressed that it does not use pin numbers for its tracking service.<\/p>\n
“The SA Post Office does not require customers to make any bank deposit before parcels are released.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 The customer will receive a receipt for this payment.<\/p>\n
“Where the Post Office has the cellphone number of the recipient, the customer will receive an SMS requesting him or her to collect the parcel at a specific Post Office branch.\u00a0 The SMS will not request that funds be deposited into an account,” it said.<\/p>\n