Perpetrators are using a fake SA Post Office (SAPO) website to once again scam the public, says the postal service in a statement.
Last month, SAPO said it was flooded with enquiries arising from e-mails and text messages that appear to originate from the national postal service, but are designed to make the receiver pay money into a fraudulent account.
In a statement, the post office warns that an e-mail titled ‘your package could not be delivered’ is directing customers to the fake website.
According to SAPO, should the receiver click on the link, a page called Bureau de Poste d’Afrique du Sud opens, and requests payment to release the fictitious parcel.
“The official language of communication for the SA Post Office is English, and no communication is done in French,” notes the post office statement. “The website features a photo of the gable of the historic Vredefort post office in the Free State.”
Furthermore, SAPO states the tracking number on the message is invalid when entered into the postal tracking website, or refers to a parcel that was collected years ago.
SAPO says it never asks for import duties or clearance fees in advance, so any message or e-mail that requests such is not from the national postal office,.
For customs fees payable on a parcel from abroad, the client pays the fees when they collect the parcel from the post office counter, it clarifies.
In addition, SAPO says it never requests a customer’s bank account number, or an online payment for customs duties.
“The post office sends customers an SMS or a collection slip when they have a parcel waiting for collection at a post office branch. This parcel should be collected as soon as possible to make sure it is not returned to the sender. Post office branches have separate queues for different transactions, so if you collect a parcel you will go into a shorter, faster queue.”
SAPO has also advised members of the public with any information about postal crimes to contact its toll-free crime-buster hotline on 0800 020 070.
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