SAPO involved in fraud scam
"Customers are advised not to click on any attachment should they receive an e-mail of this nature."
POLOKWANE – The South African Post Office (Sapo) has issued a warning to the public to be on the alert for a new parcel delivery scam designed to defraud them.
“Residents receive e-mails that appear to be sent by the postal services informing them that a parcel is ready for collection, provided they first pay money into an account. The e-mail contains several spelling mistakes and the sender’s e-mail address is not a post office address,” explains Johan Kruger, Sapo SOC Limited, Communications Division Manager.
“Moreover, some of the e-mails include an attachment which plants a virus on the customer’s computer to extract personal information.
The Sapo does not require customers to make any bank deposit before parcels are released.
In some instances, the South African Revenue Services (SARS) will levy an import tax on parcels from abroad and the import tax must then be paid at the post office counter. The customer will receive a receipt for this payment.
Where the post office has the cell phone number of the recipient, the customer will receive an SMS requesting them to collect the parcel at a specific post office branch. The SMS will not request that funds be deposited into an account.
Standford Mtonga, Sapo Investigating Officer, says no cases of this nature have yet been reported but that they want to remind the public any money that needs to be paid to the post office should be paid at a legitimate branch and the payer should receive a receipt.
All the branch managers have been notified of this scam. People should remember not to send money in any other way to the post office. If anyone has any information regarding this scam, they are requested to call the police or Sapo’s Crimebuster Hotline at 0800 020 070.
Sapo advises the public to ignore any communication of this nature to avoid being defrauded.
maretha@nmgroup.co.za
