Be wary of unexpected delivery boys, check IDs

Representative Image

Just when you think you have read it all, comes another report that sends the alarm bells pealing. This time it was about a ‘delivery boy' who looted valuables worth more than Rs 10 lakh from a high-rise.

A report in this paper stated that a lady was at home with her teenage son when the doorbell rang. A ‘delivery boy' rang the doorbell and asked if they had ordered food. When they said they had not, he asked for a glass of water. While his mother went to fetch water, the boy opened the safety door. The delivery person came inside, held a knife to the boy's neck and asked for valuables. He left, taking valuables and threatening the family.

Keep safety doors closed at all times, to service personnel. Ask for identification - name and delivery service - of the person at the door. At times, an app gives you the name and route of the person coming to your door. Do check that. If there is hesitation and hemming and hawing, look at those as red flags.

Be wary about delivery persons coming to the door at times on the pretext of you having ordered some service. If you have not, the antenna must be up. This is not to say that there cannot be a genuine mistake but generally, do be extra cautious if one has not ordered something and a person asks or insists you have.

This lockdown, we saw a spike in home deliveries because of restricted mobility. Several people in the neighbourhood do know the family patterns - who is at home, who leaves home at what time and the schedule, as those who have nefarious designs are keeping an eye on the home.

One hopes that the mother and son are getting some aid to help them cope mentally with the trauma too.