Beware of Imposter Text Messages Pretending to be DHL and Requesting Clearance Fee! 

Over the past few months, Sri Lankans have been increasingly falling prey to bogus SMS messages from unknown numbers, claiming to be from Sri Lanka customs, postal service, or other private companies providing package delivery services. These imposter messages request users pay a small customs fee to release some random items shipped in their name.

One such episode seen recently is to propagate SMS messages, both in Sinhala and English, in the guise of a famous courier company, DHL, as seen below.

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Fact Check

This is not the first time such fraudulent schemes have propagated in Sri Lanka or other parts of the world. DHL Sri Lanka also issued a statement warning customers about the scam in January 2023. The statement says that DHL never requests payment via SMS and that customers should never click on any such fraudulent links.

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• It is also important to use common sense in dealing with such scam messages from unverified numbers. Such scam messages often contain grammatical errors and typos.
• The messages may also ask for payment to be made through a payment method that is not typically used by DHL.

There is a lengthy explanation about such scams on the DHL website. It can be read here. Archived

Advice:

• If you receive an SMS message claiming to be from DHL and asking for payment, do not click on any links in the message, and do not send any money.
• Contact DHL directly to inquire about the status of your package. You can find DHL's contact information on their website.
• Report the scam to the police and SL CERT.

Additional information:

This type of scam is not new. Fraudsters often use the names of well-known companies to try to trick people into giving them money. It is important to be aware of these scams and to take steps to protect yourself.

Here are some tips to avoid being scammed:

• Be suspicious of any unsolicited messages, especially those that ask for money.
• Do not click on links in messages from unknown senders.
• Verify the identity of the sender before sending any money.
• Be wary of any payment method that is not typically used by the company you are doing business with.

A few weeks ago, a similar scam was shared in the name of Sri Lanka Post; here is the advisory from SL Cert to stay clear of such imposters.

If you think you have been scammed, report it to the police and the company being impersonated.

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