The Goa Police Crime Branch has uncovered a fake parcel delivery cyber fraud racket, arresting a key accused from Odisha in a case that investigators say relied on bulk SMS phishing to target victims across several states. Officials described the action as a significant breakthrough against organised cybercrime.
The case was registered at the Crime Branch Police Station under Cr. No. 126/2025 (December 27, 2025) after a complaint from a resident of Goa Velha. The complainant reported being cheated of ₹85,238.47 after receiving a fraudulent SMS claiming a reattempt of a courier delivery.
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The fake parcel delivery hook
According to investigators, the fraud began with an SMS crafted to resemble an official courier notification. The message falsely claimed that a DTDC parcel delivery had failed and urged the recipient to take immediate action by clicking on a link.
Unaware that the message was fraudulent, the victim clicked the phishing link, enabling the scammers to harvest sensitive information and subsequently siphon money from his bank account. Police said parcel-related messages have increasingly become the preferred entry point for cybercriminals, exploiting the surge in online shopping and people’s routine interaction with courier services.
“Parcel scams work because they create urgency and appear routine,” sources involved in the investigation said. “In most cases, victims realise what has happened only after the money is gone.”
Trail leads to Odisha
Following technical surveillance, digital forensics and transaction analysis, the Crime Branch traced the operation to Bamloi Part, Katarabaga, under Thelkoloi Police Station in Sambalpur district, Odisha. The accused, 38-year-old Susanta Bhue, was arrested on January 3, 2026, and brought to Goa for further questioning.
Investigators said the accused was not selecting individual victims himself but was handling the bulk messaging and phishing infrastructure, allowing fraudulent links to be sent to thousands of mobile numbers simultaneously.
Bulk SMS phishing at the core
Examination of the accused’s mobile phone and digital records revealed extensive use of bulk SMS platforms. These tools enabled the operation to send fake links nationwide at very low cost, significantly increasing the scale and reach of the scams.
The investigation found that the accused was linked to multiple scam formats, including:
- Fake parcel delivery notifications
- Honey-trapping scams
- Credit card reward redemption frauds
- Gaming payout scams
- Part-time job and easy-income offers
Officials said the diversity of scam themes pointed to a systematic, adaptive and scalable cyber fraud operation, capable of changing tactics quickly depending on what proved most effective.
Custody and expanding probe
The accused was produced before a court and remanded to four days of police custody. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for January 8, 2026. The investigation is continuing at the Crime Branch level with assistance from cyber forensic experts.
Teams are now focusing on:
- Identifying other individuals linked to the bulk SMS network
- Tracing servers and domains used to host phishing links
- Tracking bank accounts and digital wallets used to route stolen funds
- Establishing links with similar cyber fraud complaints registered in other states
Public advisory issued
The Crime Branch has urged citizens to remain cautious about unsolicited SMS messages, especially those claiming urgent parcel delivery issues or promising rewards or money. Officials stressed that courier companies do not ask customers to click links or share banking details via SMS.
Authorities added that early reporting of cyber fraud significantly improves the chances of freezing transactions and recovering funds.
A rapidly growing threat
The case highlights how SMS-based phishing—powered by low-cost digital tools—has expanded beyond state boundaries, making detection and enforcement more challenging. For law enforcement agencies, the arrest underscores the importance of inter-state coordination, digital forensics and swift action in dismantling cybercrime networks.
As the probe progresses, more arrests are likely, with agencies now focused on dismantling the entire digital and financial backbone of the fake parcel delivery scam.
