【ZA Tips】Investment traps, delivery scams? Beware fraud!

Scams are becoming more and more convincing these days. Some may pose as “investment experts” on social media platforms, some scammers pretend to be courier customer service agents. What makes these scams even more dangerous is that they don’t stop at just sending one SMS — scammers often build a full story step by step, create pressure and panic, and may even arrange someone to appear in person to make everything seem real 😵‍💫❌

 

That’s why today, we’re sharing two real-life cases to help you understand how these scam tactics work. After reading this, the next time you come across something similar, you'll be able to stay alert and think: “Wait, something doesn’t feel right!”

 

 

⚠️ Case 1: Social media platform investment scam, leading to a loss of over 1.3 million

A man who is keen on cryptocurrency investment received a private message from a female stranger on social media. During their casual conversation, they talked about investment products, and she took the opportunity to recommend a suspicious investment platform, inducing him to transfer his cryptocurrency from other platforms into it. Later, his account was “frozen”, and the scammers repeatedly demanded that he pay “unfreezing fee”. It was only after reporting the case to the police that the man realized he had been scammed, losing over 1.3 million.

 

Common tactics in investment scams:
• They start with casual conversations to build rapport
• Then they share so-called “investment tips”
• Next, they recommend a high-return investment platform
• At first, the platform may appear to show profits
• Finally, they keep asking for payments using excuses such as paying taxes, bail money, or unfreezing fees.

 

⚠️ Case 2: An HKD 84 tea bag order, leading to a loss of over 3.2 million 

A woman bought tea bag worth HKD 84 online but never received the goods. She later received a fake courier SMS. The scammers claimed that the parcel was lost and that she could apply for insurance compensation, inducing her to visit a fake website and provide her bank account details to facilitate the "compensation payment". Afterwards, the scammers asked her to transfer money to a designated account, claiming it was for an account security check. In the end, the woman lost over 3.2 million.

 

Common tactics in fake courier scams:
• Fake delivery failure SMS
These messages create pressure by making you feel that you must act quickly, or you may face extra charges.
• Fake logistics platform messages asking you to update your address
Scammers may impersonate online shopping or logistics platforms. They send phishing messages via SMS or WhatsApp, asking you to click a link to update your delivery address, in order to steal your personal information, card details, and money.

 

 

Friendly Reminder

ZA Bank will never ask you to enter your online banking password or one-time password through unofficial links. If you receive any suspicious message, do not click any links or reply. Please verify through the ZA Bank App customer service or call our anti-fraud hotline at 3665 3660. 📞

 

 

Scam Prevention Tips

• Don't trust: Question the caller's identity, their excuses, or any "urgent situation" — stay skeptical first.
• Don't assume: Who they are. Ask them to prove their identity.
• Don't share: Never share any passwords, personal information, or verification codes!

 

Scammers are most afraid of you staying calm. If you just pause, ask one more question, and check one more step, many scams will start to reveal their flaws.

 

Keep these scam prevention tips in mind. ZA Bank is here with you to help protect your account security.

 

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Case sources and graphics referenced from the ADCC (Anti-Deception Coordination Centre).