Post Office warns of scam asking customers to deposit money before collecting parcels

If you receive an e-mail from the SA Post Office (Sapo) asking you for payment of fees before collection, it is a scam.

Sapo has warned the public about e-mails advising customers to pay money into a fraudulent account.

According to Sapo, fraudsters send e-mails to its customers claiming a parcel addressed to them is being retained because customs fees on it are outstanding.

The sender looks like “ZA post office”, but Sapo said the actual e-mail address comes from a German server.

“The notice entices customers to click on a link which leads them to a website where they can make a payment to release the fictitious parcel. The e-mail includes a parcel number which was not generated by the Post Office.”

Sapo has urged members of the public who receive the notice to delete it immediately.

“The Post Office sends customers an SMS or a collection slip when they have a parcel waiting for collection. This parcel should be collected as soon as possible to make sure it is not returned to the sender,” it said.

Sapo clarified that if there are customs fees payable on a parcel from abroad, the customer pays the fees when the parcel is collected. 

“The Post Office does not require payment of any fees before the time of collection,” it said.

The post office scam is the third scam to be bust this week after the basic education department debunked a fake message about school closure, and the KwaZulu-Natal health department slammed a fake message claiming walk-ins are welcome at several Covid-19 vaccination sites in Durban.

Last week, the SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) warned the public about fake messages making the rounds on social media and targeting Covid-19 social relief grant beneficiaries.

The message, shared on social media platforms, led some people to believe beneficiaries of the R350 social relief of distress grant would receive “triple pay” of R1,050 if they had not received payments in the past months.

The agency rubbished the message, saying it was not true and does not come from Sassa.