Hong Kong Resident Warns of New “Unidentified Package” Scam โฃTargeting Double 12 โShoppers
A new scam exploiting the surge in online shopping during the Double 12 salesโ event โคis circulating, and authorities are urging caution โฃregardingโฃ unsolicited packages. A Hong Kong citizen, known only as Threads, has alerted the public to aโค scheme where recipients areโ tricked into unknowingly participating in illegal activities after receivingโฃ an unlabeled parcel. The scam leverages curiosity and โฃthe โexpectation of a bargain, perhaps leading to significant legal repercussions forโ those who fall victim.
The scam operates by sending individuals โขan “unidentifiedโค package” โขcontainingโข goods used in fraudulent transactions โ- often โขwithoutโข the recipient’s knowledge. Upon opening theโค package,โฃ the individual โbecomes โฃunwittingly complicit in a crime, such โas money laundering or the distribution of โคillegally obtained items. Threads’ warning comes as Double 12, a major online shopping festival โคon December 12th, drives aโ massive increase in package deliveries, creating an idealโฃ environment forโ scammers to operate undetected.
According to Threads, the scam’sโ effectiveness lies in exploiting โฃthe recipient’s initial confusion and subsequent attempts to understand the โpackage’s contents. Once opened, the individual is immediatelyโข entangled in the fraudulent scheme.
Self-Protection Tutorial:
* Do โขNot Open: โค If you receive โa package you didโค not order or one with no sender facts,do not open it.
* Contact Authorities: Immediately โขreport the package to the Hong Kong Police Force’s โคCyber Security Reporting Portal (https://www.cybersecurity.gov.hk/en/report-cyber-crime.html).
* Preserve Evidence: Keep the package intact and do not tamper with itโข in any way. This will โaid law enforcementโข in their examination.
* Document Everything: Take photographs of the package, including any labels or markings, andโ keep a recordโฃ of all interaction related to the incident.