By anonymous victim.
A sophisticated new scam has emerged in the country,exploiting unsuspecting individuals with a clever ruse. Here’s how the scam unfolded:
Last Wednesday, a week ago, I received a phone call from someone claiming to be from a company( name withheld). The caller asked if I would be home because a package requiring a signature was on its way. He mentioned that the delivery would arrive in about an hour. True to his word, a uniformed delivery man arrived with a parcel and a bottle of wine. I was taken aback as there was no special occasion, and I hadn’t expected anything.
Curious, I asked who sent the package. The courier replied, “I don’t know; I’m just delivering it.” He added that the sender wanted to surprise me and that a card would be sent separately.
Given that my birthday was approaching, we speculated that the gift might be from a distant friend. The parcel came with a consignment note, and the courier explained that because it contained alcohol, a N1000 “delivery/verification charge” was required. This fee was for proof of delivery to an adult, ensuring the package wouldn’t be left unattended or taken by a minor.
I called my husband, who noted that the wine was worth around N10,000. This seemed reasonable, so I was ready to pay in cash. However, the courier insisted on payment by credit, ATM, or debit card to ensure proper accounting and to avoid carrying cash. My husband used his ATM card, swiping it on a mobile card reader with a small screen and keypad, and entered the verification code. At this point, we had no reason to suspect any wrongdoing. We received a receipt, and the courier left.
To our shock, between Friday and Monday, N450,000 was withdrawn from our account at various ATMs. The “mobile ATM card reader” the delivery man used was equipped to capture our card details and create a duplicate card with the verification code.
Upon discovering the unauthorized transactions, we immediately contacted the bank, but it was too late to prevent the withdrawals. We reported the incident to the police, only to learn that several other households had been similarly targeted.
Warning: Be cautious of accepting unexpected “surprise” gifts or packages, especially if payment is required. Always verify the identity of the sender and never provide personal credit card information unless you have initiated the transaction yourself.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
