The seller says the parcel is stuck and needs a courier fee. Is it a scam?
Yes. A parcel that needs a "release fee", "customs charge", "insurance" or "GST" after you have already paid is a parcel that does not exist. The fee is the second part of the same scam, and after this one there will be a third.
The message often comes from a "courier company" with a tracking page that looks real. It is the same script used in romance scams for gifts from abroad: the parcel is always almost there and always needs one more payment.
What to do
- Do not pay any additional fee, however small.
- Check the tracking number on the courier's official website, not on the link you were sent.
- Treat the first payment as lost: call your bank and 1930, and file on cybercrime.gov.in.
- Block the seller and the "courier" and report the profile.
Frequently asked questions
- They said the fee will be refunded on delivery. Is that possible?
- No. Genuine couriers collect charges on delivery or through the sender, never as a surprise UPI payment to a personal account.
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