Courier and ATM Franchise Agency Scam on WhatsApp

How it looks on WhatsApp, the red flags and what to do.

WhatsApp scams arrive from numbers you do not know, from a friend whose account was taken over, or from a group you were added to without asking. 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 on WhatsApp

• A message from an unknown number, often with a stock photo of a smiling person.
• A friend or relative asking for urgent money from a new number or a hacked account.
• A group invite promising returns, jobs or prizes.

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 WhatsApp message

• 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.
• A new number says it is someone you know and asks for money; call the real person on the old number first.
• You are added to a group full of people praising profits.

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. Warn the group or family, and report the number on Sanchar Saathi if it is a scam call or message.
5. Do not click links or open files. Do not send money or codes.
6. Open the chat, tap the contact name and choose Block and report.

Inside WhatsApp use Block and report; for numbers that call or text you, the Sanchar Saathi portal (Chakshu facility) also takes complaints.

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, email, social media.

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