Package delivery scams have become more prevalent, so people should double-check the details of the delivery and refuse to claim packages that seem suspicious, the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said.
The bureau’s Crime Prevention Division cited law enforcement authorities last month as saying that online shopping-related fraud schemes were on the rise, with 3,625 people reporting that they had been tricked into paying for delivered items they did not order.
People have been receiving fraudulent e-mails, texts or messages on social media saying they had a package waiting at a local convenience store, bureau officials said.
Photo: CNA
Division chief Chuang Ming-hsiung (莊明雄) said a man surnamed Hsieh (謝) earlier this month told police he had received a text message saying that an item ordered online had been delivered to a convenience store in his neighborhood.
Hsieh was not sure if he had placed the order and thought that maybe a family member bought something online, so he went to the convenience store to pick up the item, for which he paid about NT$1,000, Chuang said.
Hsieh found a tube of sunscreen inside and asked his family if they had ordered it, but they said they did not, Chuang said, adding that when Hsieh realized he had fallen victim to a “package delivery scam,” he reported it to the police.
It is common in Taiwan to have online purchases delivered to a convenience store.
Package delivery scams are divided into two groups, he said.
“The first is fraudulent one-page ads promoting ‘discounts,’ ‘limited time offers,’ or ‘pay upon delivery’ for items,” Chuang said. “However, the items that arrive are of bad quality or are not as advertised.”
“The second type is a ‘ghost package,’ where a person is told a package had been sent to a convenience store near them,” he said. “Most people think a family member had purchased it, so they pay for it and pick it up, but they later find out nobody had ordered it.”
Many such scams have criminal organizations behind them, who pretend they are a foreign e-commerce business or are an online shopping site on social media, Chuang said, adding that they claim to work with legitimate customs brokers and delivery firms to deceive people.
The bureau advised people not to pick up items they did not order and verify all details before paying for them, to avoid getting scammed, adding that they should also double check the item invoice, price and fees, as well as the address and other details of the sender.
Even if one receives a message saying a package is waiting for them, they should not pick it up if they had not ordered anything or if they do not know who sent it, the bureau said.
It also advised people to choose businesses with a good reputation when shopping online.
“If the business only provides an e-mail, Line ID or a contact at a foreign country,” it is most likely a fraud operation, the bureau added.
People should keep the package and the delivery container, proof of payment, invoice and package slip, as convenience stores have a telephone number they could contact to file a complaint or report fraud, it said.
Officials also reminded the public that Taiwan has a seven-day return policy, so people can return the package to the store within that time frame without charge, and call the 165 anti-fraud hotline to report suspected fraud.
Starbucks Taiwan’s decision to charge for drink customization, which had been free, has sparked consumer backlash, highlighting the challenge of raising prices without making customers feel they are losing value, experts said. Since Oct. 12, customers who order drinks with less or no ice and ask to have the volume topped up with milk or other liquid have been charged an additional NT$15. Topping off drinks without ice was previously free, and disgruntled customers posted photos on social media showing that iced drinks ordered without ice were only half full if the extra NT$15 was not paid. The posts drew tens of thousands
EXPLANATION: Tsai said he attended events featuring various interviewees to observe them firsthand as part of his interview research Television host Kevin Tsai (蔡康永) last night broke his silence over a controversy surrounding his appearance at a campaign event for Democratic Progressive Party Taipei mayoral candidate Puma Shen (沈伯洋), saying he had never supported Taiwan independence. “I have always hoped for friendly cross-strait relations. I have never supported Taiwan independence,” Tsai wrote in a post on the Chinese social media platform Sina Weibo. Tsai, who has hosted television shows in China, attended the opening of Shen’s campaign headquarters on Oct. 4, drawing criticism from Chinese social media users and prompting some Chinese companies to distance themselves from him. China’s Taiwan Affairs Office
The husband of a Taiwanese woman stabbed to death at a hotel in Japan has been detained on suspicion of entering into a sham marriage and taking out high-value insurance policies in her name, Tainan prosecutors said today. A woman surnamed Ching (井), 38, was killed on Monday last week at a tourist hotel in Fujikawaguchiko, Japan. A Taiwanese woman surnamed Yang (楊) was arrested by Japanese police on suspicion of murder, Tainan District Prosecutors’ Office deputy chief prosecutor Wang Sheng-hao (王聖豪) said. Investigators suspect that Ching's new husband, surnamed Lee (李), 29, arranged a sham marriage, encouraged her to travel to Japan
Taiwan’s AH-64E Apache attack helicopters have been grounded for inspections following a US technical notification about gearbox risks, Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) said yesterday. Speaking briefly to reporters before a legislative committee hearing, Koo said the army would deploy AH-1W SuperCobra attack helicopters and OH-58D reconnaissance helicopters to carry out readiness missions during the inspection period. He did not elaborate on the inspection requirements or how long the Apaches would remain grounded. According to a US Army Public Affairs release issued on Oct. 2, the US Army has ordered an immediate, temporary pause in flight operations for AH-64E Apache helicopters
RSS