How Cash On Delivery (COD) Scam Works

Ever since the Covid-19 pandemic, e-commerce has witnessed a meteoric boom. Businesses are increasing their efforts to develop or at least maintain an online presence as they have witnessed the effectiveness and power of e-commerce. New payment methods such as cash on delivery has also increase in popularity in recent years, as it provides consumers with a solution to access e-commerce by removing the barrier imposed by e-payment methods.

Following the rise of in popularity with Cash on Delivery, there has also been an increase in reports on cash on delivery scam being carried out by unscrupulous individuals to rip consumer off. Cash on delivery scams are usually carried by attracting consumers to place an order online by offer cash on delivery payment method. Consumers are attracted to cash on delivery due to the flexibility it offers such as, reducing the need for a bank account, reduce the need to perform an online transaction, reduce the need to provide sensitive information online, and facilitates emergency or impulse purchase.

Scammers preying on unsuspecting victims will then deliver a package to the buyer. Scammers will usually send out items of lesser value, or items that do not match the description of the item advertised. As a standard policy, courier companies do not allow for the inspection of packages upon delivery and payment has to be made in exchange for the parcel. Consequently, this has enabled the scam to be successful as consumers will have only realized that they have been scammed after payment is made and until the package is opened subsequently.

Another method that scammers deploy is to send out random parcel with Cash on delivery payment method to random receivers. Leveraging on the popularity and widespread adoption of online purchasing, scammers are aware that due to the high volume and frequency of online purchase, that consumers are highly unlikely to be aware or definite on their purchase order history or their delivery status. Scammers rely on these uncertainties to send out random packages with cash on delivery payment, and hopes for unsuspecting victims to fall prey and end up making the payment. On a large scale, scammers are able to reap a large sum of profit via such scams.

What we have just described is the just two of the many ways scammers prey on victims online. In conclusion we urge our readers to always be vigilant while making purchases online, such as to researching the seller before making any purchases. Furthermore, we urge our readers to constantly be aware of their purchase history and their delivery status to avoid falling for such scams.

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