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UAE scam alert: Residents warned against fake delivery messages from 'Emirates Post'
One expat in Dubai, who was expecting a package that had been delayed for several weeks, fell victim to the scam
AFP file photo used for illustrative purposes
An alarming increase in fraudulent activities has been reported in recent weeks, involving individuals receiving SMS messages and surveys falsely claiming to be associated with Emirates Post. These scams deceive recipients into providing personal information and making payments to unauthorised sources.
Taking to Twitter and social media, Emirates Post has urged residents to remain vigilant and take precautions to protect themselves from falling victim to such scams. “We only send SMS through our Emirates Post registered account,” said the authority on their website.
Emirates Post has told residents to avoid logging into the link provided in such messages.
One such SMS reads: “Due to incorrect address information, your package was not delivered, and the package was returned to the warehouse. Please update your shipping address and reschedule your delivery."
Another one read: “Your parcel has been delayed. Please update the address as soon as possible to pay for shipping. Reply 1 to get the link."
Here are other sample scam messages:
Victim in Dubai
Grace dela Cruz, a housewife in Dubai, was among those who received a similar message — and to her, it was believable because she had been expecting a shipment that hadn't arrived yet.
"I entered my details and even our credit card's OTP because I really thought it was for the package I was expecting," she told Khaleej Times.
The next day, when she was wondering where the package could be, she called Emirates Post to follow up and that was when she found out it was a scam.
"They said no parcel was registered under my name, and they told me the message was fake," she said.
Grace immediately told her husband about it, and he then called the bank to get the card blocked. Luckily, no suspicious charges had been made to the card, she added.
Modus operandi
Emirates Post on Twitter also said that: “Fraud comes in many forms from: email, sms, whatsapp messages, and survey’ with payment links impersonating Emirates Post,”
The entity has urged the residents ‘Together, lets fight fraud’ mentioning that scammers mostly ask for credit card or personal details. If you encounter any of these, protect yourself and report them, said the twitter post.
The modus operandi of these fraudsters involves sending SMS messages or emails that appear to be from Emirates Post, luring residents with urgent notifications. These messages request recipients to provide personal details, including bank account information. Many residents have also reported fraudulent communications including links to payment portals, where they are encouraged to make immediate payments to avail of the alleged rewards or services.
Upon learning about these SMS’s, Emirates Post issued a warning to the public and report such scams on their website.
The authority has warned the residents not to entertain any email about a shipment that’s ready for delivery with a payment link. “We will never contact you via Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo or any other servers. Our official email addresses end with @emiratespost.ae or @emiratesposthop.ae,” as mentioned on Emirates post website.
Fraudsters may also use fake social media accounts messaging the residents directly and luring them into their scam. The authority has requested to block such accounts immediately and report these pages.
The authority has urged the residents to these scammers to custservice@emiratespost.ae or 600599999.
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