Parcel held at customs: the fake GST or duty payment by SMS or call

Parcel held at customs: the fake GST or duty payment by SMS or call

"Your parcel is being held by customs. Please pay the import GST of S$4.90 within 48 hours to release it, or it will be returned." Or a call: "This is the customs department. A parcel in your name contains prohibited items, and we need to verify your identity." The first is smishing designed to capture your card details. The second is often the opening of a government official impersonation scam. The rule: do not pay customs charges or "release fees" through a link in an unexpected SMS, and no customs officer will ask you to transfer money over the phone.

How does the customs fee scam work?

1. The message. An SMS, WhatsApp or email names Singapore Customs, SingPost, or a courier such as DHL, FedEx, Ninja Van or J&T. It says a parcel is held pending payment of GST, duty or a "clearance fee".
2. The small amount. A few dollars, small enough not to raise suspicion.
3. The fake page. A link leads to a page that looks like the courier's or a government site, asking for card details and then the OTP.
4. The theft. Your card details are used for larger purchases, or added to a mobile wallet.

The phone version is more dangerous: a caller says your parcel contains illegal items, passports or bank cards and that you are under investigation. You are then "transferred" to the police and pressured to move your money to a "safe account". That is a classic impersonation scam.

Why is it so believable?

• Many people shop overseas online, so a parcel from abroad is plausible.
• Import GST is real. Since 2023, GST also applies to low-value goods bought from overseas, which makes a GST charge sound normal.
• The amount is tiny, and the threat of losing the parcel creates urgency.

How do I tell a real customs charge from a fake one?

• For most online purchases of low-value goods from overseas platforms, GST is collected at checkout by the seller or platform. You usually will not get a separate payment request afterwards.
• For higher-value or other imports, the courier or SingPost normally handles customs clearance and will tell you about charges through its official channels, linked to your real tracking number.
• Real notices include your tracking number, which you can verify on the courier's or SingPost's official website, typed in yourself.
• Government SMS come from the "gov.sg" sender ID, and government websites end in .gov.sg. Lookalike domains are fake.
• Singapore Customs does not call people to demand payment for a parcel through transfers, PayNow to individuals, gift cards or crypto. For official information, use the Singapore Customs website.

What do I do right now?

1. Do not tap the link and do not call any number in the message.
2. Check your orders in the shop or platform where you bought them, and track the parcel on the official courier website using the tracking number from your order.
3. If you got a call about illegal items, hang up. To check with the police, call the Police Hotline (1800 255 0000) yourself.
4. Report the message or number through ScamShield and in the spam numbers directory. If unsure, call the ScamShield Helpline (1799).

What if I've already paid or given my card details?

1. Call your bank now on the official number on your card or in its app. Block the card and review recent transactions. If you entered an OTP, say so.
2. If you entered online banking or Singpass details, change your passwords from a clean device and use your bank's emergency "kill switch" if needed.
3. If you transferred money after a call about illegal items, contact your bank immediately and call 999 if you are being pressured right now.
4. Keep evidence: the SMS, the link, the number, and receipts.
5. Make a police report through SPF e-services and follow ScamShield's I've been scammed checklist.

Frequently asked questions

I am waiting for a parcel from overseas. Could the SMS be real? Possibly, but do not use the link. Check with the courier through the tracking number from your order. If there is a real charge, it will appear there.

I paid GST at checkout. Can customs charge me again? Be very suspicious of any message asking you to pay again. Check your order and the courier's official tracking.

The caller said my parcel contained drugs or fake passports. What should I do? Hang up. This is the opening of an impersonation scam. Real investigations do not begin with demands to transfer money.

Is it worth reporting if I did not pay? Yes. Reports help ScamShield and others spot the campaign faster.

In short

A parcel "held at customs", a small fee and a link: that is smishing. GST on most overseas online purchases is paid at checkout, and real charges appear in official tracking. Do not tap links, verify with the courier yourself, hang up on "customs officers" who mention illegal items, and call your bank if you entered card details. And report the number in the NoCall spam numbers directory.