In Ukraine, there is a renewed surge in postal scammers who use tried-and-true schemes to deceive citizens. The wrongdoers send messages about supposed winnings or offer cheap goods with payment upon delivery, forcing people to pay for completely unnecessary items.
This is reported by Finway
Most Common Fraud Schemes
Experts from the State Special Communications Service warn that scammers have revived two main fraudulent schemes. The first involves sending SMS or messages in messengers with notifications about a prize — for example, 2000 UAH that can be collected at the post office. When a person arrives to pick up the package, they see banknotes in a transparent wrapper, creating the illusion of a real win. However, to claim this “prize,” one must pay a cash-on-delivery fee, which amounts to, for instance, 1000 UAH.
“Instead of profit, the person receives a bundle of souvenir banknotes, while the 1000 UAH goes into the scammers’ pockets.”
The second scheme involves sending packages with unnecessary or overly cheap items, the cost of which is significantly inflated due to the cash-on-delivery fee. For example, the package may contain a cleaning product or a trinket of questionable quality, and the total amount due, including delivery, can reach several hundred UAH.
How to Protect Yourself from Postal Scammers
Scammers rely on human inattention or the hope that perhaps the package is a long-forgotten order. Some people, hesitating, still pay for delivery to avoid unnecessary questions at the post office or to save time on refusing the package.
The State Special Communications Service emphasizes: always check the sender and do not pay for packages that were not ordered. If there are doubts about the shipment, it is better to refuse to accept it to avoid losing your own money.