Courier and ATM Franchise Agency Scam by email

How it looks by email, the red flags and what to do.

Email is slower than SMS, so these scams usually pretend to be a bill, a refund, an account lock or a job offer and ask you to log in or open a file. Courier and ATM Franchise Agency Scam is one of the ways this shows up: An offer to open an ATM, courier or delivery franchise with guaranteed monthly income takes registration and security fees, then goes silent. See how.

What courier and atm franchise agency scam looks like by email

• A sender address that is almost, but not exactly, the real domain.
• A button that says "Verify account" or "View invoice".
• An attachment such as a PDF, ZIP or HTML file you did not expect.

The scammer copies the logo and the language of a well-known company and sends an email that appears to come from its franchise department. A website with a form and a list of 'approved partners' backs it up. The offer is hard to resist: a small deposit, a share of every transaction or parcel, and a promise that the business runs by itself.

Red flags to check on the email

• A franchise that promises a fixed monthly income with no work.
• Fees for registration, clearance or inspection paid to a personal or unrelated account.
• An email from a free address or a website address that differs from the real company's.
• Only a few locations left, with a payment deadline.
• The email asks you to log in through the link rather than through the official app.
• It carries a surprise invoice, refund or legal notice.

What to do

1. Contact the real company using the contact on its official website typed by hand.
2. Ask whether it has franchise offers and whether the person who contacted you works there.
3. Never pay fees to a personal account or before you see a registered agreement.
4. Do not open the attachment and do not press the button.
5. Go to the company website by typing it yourself and check your account there.
6. Check the full sender address, not just the display name.

Use Report phishing in your email app. If money or accounts are affected, call 1930 and report at cybercrime.gov.in.

If money or a code is already gone

1. Call 1930 and report at cybercrime.gov.in with each payment and the website address.
2. Tell your bank on the number printed on your card and ask about holding transfers.
3. Inform the real company so that it can warn the public.
4. File a written complaint at the police station with all emails and receipts.

National Cyber Crime Helpline: 1930; report at cybercrime.gov.in.

Safeavio's link check can look at the franchise website or form link you paste and warn about lookalike domains, and the scam check marks the guaranteed income and the stage-by-stage fees in an email you paste. It cannot judge whether a business plan is sound or the company is registered, so verify with the real company yourself. Treat any fee as a stop sign.

Full guide: Courier and ATM Franchise Agency Scam: how it works, signs and what to do. Other channels: phone call, WhatsApp, social media.

Questions