After news of scammers using a new tactic of requiring victims to download .apk files on Whatsapp to check their parcels broke out recently, courier service Ninja Van Malaysia has come out saying that they do not require parcel recipients to download any files to verify their parcels.
In a statement, they said that they have been alerted to scammers who are falsely representing themselves as Ninja Van employees or representatives and targeting unsuspecting individuals through WhatsApp.
According to the information gathered thus far, the victims would receive unsolicited WhatsApp messages from a local phone number. The individual would pretend to be a Ninja Van employee delivering parcels and ask unsuspecting individuals to download malicious files (An example includes a .apk file) to verify their parcels.
Ninja Van Malaysia
They said that they do not require their parcel recipients to download any files to verify their parcels and strongly advise the public not to respond to these messages or click on any accompanying links and files.
Prevention is better than cure
Ninja Van Malaysia also advised the public to remain vigilant and adopt the following precautionary measures:
- Exercise caution when interacting with unknown links and document attachments from unfamiliar or untrusted sources.
- Make sure to only download verified apps from official app stores like Google Play Store and Apple App Store. Ensure your devices are secured by disabling the ‘Install unknown apps’ setting.
- Check for scams and with official sources. Ninja Van Malaysia says that they will only contact their parcel recipients via official channels, such as their official social messaging system NinjaChat, their verified social media and WhatsApp Business accounts, or their email addresses that end with ninjavan.co.
- Inform authorities, family and friends about scams.
- Report the scammers to the relevant authorities e.g. https://semakmule.rmp.gov.my/
If you have received any suspicious messages on WhatsApp or any other social platforms you can report to Ninja Van’s customer support via:
- Email (support_my@ninjavan.co) – Responds within 24 hours.
- LIVE Chat (https://sns.ninjavan.co/?system_id=my) – Responds within 30 seconds
We have also posted a Scam Advisory on our official Instagram page, as well as an awareness post on our official website and other social media platforms for more information.
Ninja Van Malaysia
Ninja Van Malaysia mentioned that the burgeoning online shopping trends also open the door to a surge of fraudulent activities such as fake carrier services, undelivered goods, and Cash-On-Delivery (COD) scams, among others.
To further raise awareness on how shoppers can shop with caution, they shared some tips on how to spot COD scams here.
