Beware Of COD Fraud Mode When Shopping Online, This Is How To Prevent It

JAKARTA - The increasing trend of online shopping amidst technological convenience, people need to be more careful about various forms of fraud, especially those under the guise of package delivery using the on-site payment method or Cash on Delivery (COD).

Recently, the mode of COD fraud is increasingly occurring, where consumers are asked to pay for packages they never ordered.

In this fraud scheme, the perpetrators send packages randomly to the victim's address using the COD method. Many of them then paid because they felt they might forget to ever shop or were reluctant to argue with the courier, without having time to verify the contents and source of the package.

According to a statement from one of the leading e-commerce platforms, this kind of incident was not caused by internal data leakage.

In contrast, cybercriminals take advantage of basic data spread across digital spaces such as names, addresses, or phone numbers that are often filled when using various online services such as ordering food, transportation, or lottery forms.

Quoting ANTARA, Monday, June 2, in order to avoid this kind of fraud, the public is advised to implement the following preventive measures:

Don't immediately receive or pay for a COD package if you don't feel like you've ordered. Ask the courier first about the contents and delivery of the package.

Check carefully the details of the package, including the sender label and the outer view of the package. Avoid opening or paying suspicious or unidentified packages.

Check order history in e-commerce applications or marketplaces that are commonly used, to ascertain if there are any ongoing shipments.

Reject the package and immediately report it to the customer's delivery service or service if you feel you have never ordered the item.

Education of all family members, especially those who live in the same house, so that they do not carelessly receive COD packages and know the potential for this fraud mode.

As an additional form of protection, several online shopping platforms also provide verification features, such as 'Check Facts', to ensure the authenticity of shipments and prevent losses due to fraud.

The mode of COD fraud not only causes material losses, but also has an impact on consumer security and public trust in the digital trading system. Therefore, increasing digital literacy and mutual vigilance is the main key in protecting oneself from this growing crime mode.