What should you do immediately if you receive a courier parcel that has been tampered with?

Step 1 — Do not open the parcel further

If you receive a parcel whose outer packaging shows signs of tampering — resealed tape, torn edges that have been retaped, a different knot or seal from what you used, visible damage that looks deliberate rather than accidental — stop immediately. Do not open the parcel further. Do not try to check whether the notes are still inside. Every additional action you take after this point changes the physical state of the evidence. The parcel in its current state is the evidence.

Step 2 — Photograph everything before any further action

Before the delivery agent leaves, photograph: the outer packaging from all six sides; the specific tampered areas close up; the courier's label showing the tracking number, sender address, and recipient address; the delivery agent's uniform or vehicle if visible; and any seals or stickers that have been disturbed. If you are at home and have a second person present, have them take the photographs while you hold the parcel.

These photographs establish the state of the parcel at the moment of delivery. They are your evidence that the tampering existed at delivery — not something that happened after you took the parcel inside. Once you take the parcel inside and time passes, the courier company can argue that anything that happened to the package occurred after delivery.

Step 3 — Refuse delivery or note the refusal clearly

You have the legal right to refuse delivery of a visibly tampered parcel. If you refuse delivery, tell the agent clearly — preferably in front of a witness — that you are refusing because the packaging shows signs of tampering and the contents may have been disturbed. Ask the agent to record this refusal in their delivery app or on the consignment note. Get the agent's employee ID if possible.

If the agent has already left before you noticed the tampering — you took the parcel inside and discovered it on opening — the position is still recoverable but requires faster action. Open the parcel immediately on a clean flat surface, photograph the inner contents and the state of the inner packaging, and call the courier's customer service within the hour.

Step 4 — Document the contents immediately

Once you have photographed the outer packaging thoroughly, open the parcel on a clean surface and photograph the contents in the state in which you find them. If notes are missing — photograph the empty space where they should be. If a note has been substituted with a fake — photograph the fake in the position in which you found it. If the packaging insert (the toploader or foam) is present but the note is absent — photograph that specifically. These photographs of the interior are evidence of what was — or was not — inside the parcel when it reached you.

Step 5 — Call the courier immediately and preserve the record

Call the courier company's customer service line within 30 minutes. State clearly: 'I have received a tampered parcel. I am reporting this now and I am preserving the evidence. I am filing a formal complaint and may file an FIR.' Ask for a complaint reference number. Note the time of the call, the name or ID of the customer service agent, and what was said. Send a follow-up email to the courier within the same day — the email timestamp creates a dated record of when you reported the problem.

Laws & authorities referenced in this chapter

Consumer Protection Act 2019 — §2(42) (service includes courier); §35 (complaint procedure)

Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam 2023 — §61 (electronic records including photographs admissible as evidence)

BNS 2023 — §308, §316 (criminal breach of trust — evidence of tampering supports FIR)