Delivery Worker Impersonation Scam: Fraudsters Pose as Shippers to Extort Money

A new scam is emerging in Vietnam where fraudsters impersonate delivery workers and postal employees, falsely claiming victims have registered shipping accounts that need to be canceled. Victims are deceived into making multiple transfers under false pretexts of transaction errors, with scammers eventually blocking contact after extracting significant sums.

How the Scam Works

Fraudsters call victims and impersonate delivery workers, postal employees, or shipping company representatives. They falsely claim the victim has registered for a delivery worker account or online shipping service. They then insist this registration poses a risk to the victim's rights and financial interests, claiming it must be canceled immediately or could trigger financial obligations and legal liabilities.

To increase credibility, the scammer directs the victim to call a different number, claiming it belongs to a postal center hotline, shipping company support, or account cancellation department. When the victim calls, another scammer poses as a postal or shipping company employee and requests money for account verification or to complete cancellation procedures.

Once the victim transfers money, the scammer claims the transaction failed, the transfer details were incorrect, the text syntax was wrong, or the money wasn't recognized by the system. They then demand additional transfers multiple times to "fix the error," "unlock the transaction," "synchronize the system," or "return previously transferred funds." This continues until the victim realizes they've been defrauded, at which point the scammers delete their communications and disappear.

Warning Signs

In reality, postal services, shipping companies, and government agencies never request money transfers for:

Canceling delivery account registrations
Verifying account information
Fixing system errors

Such requests are classic fraud indicators. Be especially suspicious of calls about services you never registered for.

Prevention Tips

Always Verify Identity When receiving calls from delivery workers or service providers, never transfer money immediately. Instead, independently verify the caller's identity by contacting the official contact number listed on the company's official website.
Protect Personal Information Never share personal details, OTP codes, bank passwords, or account information with strangers over phone calls, text messages, or social media.
Never Transfer Money on Demand Refuse any request for money transfers, especially if the reason is unrelated to normal service usage.
Contact Official Channels If you receive a suspicious call, proactively contact the official hotline of the relevant organization to verify the information.

Where to Report

If you suspect fraud or have already been scammed, immediately report it to the nearest police station for timely support and investigation.