The SA Post Office warns the public to be on alert of a parcel delivery scam designed to defraud them.

Members of the public receive e-mails that appear to be sent by the SA Post Office, informing them that a parcel is ready for collection – provided they first pay money into an account.  The e-mail contains some spelling mistakes and the sender’s e-mail address is not a Post Office address.

Moreover, some of the e-mails include an attachment which plants a virus on the customer’s computer to extract personal information from the computer.  Customers are advised not to click on any attachment if they receive an e-mail of this nature.

The SA Post Office does not require customers to make any bank deposit before parcels are released.  In some instances, SARS levy import tax on parcels from abroad and the import tax must then paid at the Post Office counter.  The customer will receive a receipt for this payment.

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.  The SMS will 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 Crime buster Hotline on 0800 020 070.

The SA Post Office advises the public to ignore communication of this nature.