Courier / Customs Scam in Chennai: How It Works & How to Stay Safe

Quick summary

• •How it works: A caller claims a parcel in your name contains illegal items and demands money to "settle" it.
• •Warning sign: Call about a suspicious parcel/drugs
• •Warning sign: Threat of arrest
• •Warning sign: Demand to transfer money to "verify"
• •Do this: Police never settle cases over UPI

How the courier / customs scam works

• —A caller claims a parcel in your name contains illegal items and demands money to "settle" it.
• —Reports involving Chennai follow the same pattern; the brand or location only changes the disguise.

Warning signs

• —Call about a suspicious parcel/drugs
• —Threat of arrest
• —Demand to transfer money to "verify"

How to protect yourself

• —Police never settle cases over UPI
• —Hang up; do not transfer money
• —Report to 1930

What to do if you are targeted

• —Stop — do not pay or share any OTP/PIN.
• —Call the cyber-fraud helpline 1930 within the golden hour.
• —File a report at cybercrime.gov.in with screenshots and transaction details.
• —Inform your bank to freeze/raise a dispute on the transaction.

Scam vs. legitimate: how to tell

Frequently asked questions

Official sources & helplines

• Cyber Crime Helpline 1930 — National cyber-fraud financial helpline — call within the "golden hour" to freeze fraudulent transfers.
• National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal — Official Government of India portal to report financial and other cybercrimes.