Parcel held at customs: the fake fee payment by SMS or phone call

Parcel held at customs: the fake fee payment by SMS or phone call

"Your shipment is being held at customs. To release it, pay R89 in duties within 48 hours." Sometimes it arrives by SMS, sometimes by WhatsApp or email, and more and more often as a phone call: a recorded voice asking you to press 1 to speak to "the customs department", or a person who says they are an agent from a courier company or from SARS Customs. The amount is small on purpose. What they want is not those few rand but your full card details, the OTP your bank sends you to confirm the payment or, in the more elaborate versions, bigger and bigger transfers.

This guide focuses on the customs hook and on phone calls. If what you received is the general "your parcel could not be delivered" SMS from the Post Office or a courier, you will find more detail in our guide to fake Post Office and courier SMSs.

How does the customs fee scam work?

The script repeats with few variations:

1. The notice. You receive a message or a call in the name of the Post Office, an international courier or "SARS Customs". They say a parcel in your name is being held and that VAT, duties or "customs clearance fees" are unpaid.
2. The rush. There is a deadline: 24 or 48 hours, or the parcel "will be returned to the sender" or "destroyed".
3. The payment. They send you to a website that copies the company's look, or on the call they ask you to read out your card. Sometimes they ask for an EFT, an e-wallet or cash-send payment, or gift vouchers.
4. The real theft. With your card details they make purchases or add the card to a phone wallet. That is why, straight afterwards, you usually get an SMS from your bank with an OTP: that OTP approves a transaction that is not R89.

There is a longer variant, linked to romance scams and fake prizes: someone you met online "sends you a gift" and, shortly after, a fake courier company contacts you saying the parcel is at customs and you need to pay thousands of rand in fees, insurance or "anti-terrorism certificates". That parcel does not exist.

Why is it so believable?

Because import charges really do exist. Goods imported into South Africa can attract VAT and customs duties, collected by SARS Customs, and couriers often add their own clearing or handling fee. Many people who shop on international sites have paid something to receive an order, so the fake message sounds familiar.

On top of that, the scammer does not need to know whether you are expecting anything: they send the same message to thousands of numbers and, with so much online shopping, they always hit someone.

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

Look out for these signs:

• Did you buy from outside South Africa? An order shipped from within the country does not go through customs. If your purchase was from a local shop, the notice is fake.
• Were duties and VAT already included? Some international shopping platforms collect import charges at checkout. Check your receipt: if you already paid them, there should be nothing more to pay.
• Does your tracking number appear? A real notice mentions your shipment's tracking number, the same one the shop gave you. The fake one just talks about "your parcel".
• Are they asking you to pay via a link, over the phone, by e-wallet or with gift vouchers? Neither the courier nor SARS will ask you to read out your card on an unexpected call or pay with vouchers.
• Is the link the official domain? Domains with extra words ("customs-delivery", "parcel-fees", "release-parcel") or odd endings are a clear sign. SARS's own website ends in sars.gov.za.
• Does the call start with a recording? A robot asking you to press a key to speak to customs is a typical pattern of these campaigns.
• Does the amount make sense? Real charges depend on the value and type of what you bought. A generic figure with no relation to your order is suspicious.

The sender or the number on screen proves nothing: numbers and sender names can be spoofed. SARS keeps a scams and phishing page where you can check how it does and does not contact people.

What do I do right now?

1. Do not tap the link and do not pay anything. If it is a call, hang up. Do not argue and do not give any details "to check".
2. Look up the order yourself. Open the app or the email from the shop where you bought it and copy the tracking number.
3. Check it through the official channel. Type in the courier's website address yourself or use its official app (for the Post Office, postoffice.co.za), and enter the tracking number. If there really are charges outstanding, they will show up there, and you can pay them through that same channel.
4. Take a screenshot of the message or note the number that called you, the time and what they said.
5. Block and report the number. Report it in the spam numbers directory so that others recognise it. NoCall also warns you when a number has already been flagged as suspicious by other users.

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

Act fast. The order matters:

1. Call your bank's fraud line on the number on the back of your card or in the banking app, not one that came in the message. Ask them to block the card and issue a new one.
2. If you gave an OTP, tell the bank: a transaction was probably approved or your card was added to a phone wallet, and that needs to be reversed.
3. Check your transactions over the next few days and switch on notifications in your banking app. Fraudulent charges do not always appear straight away.
4. If you paid by EFT, e-wallet or cash-send, ask your bank to try to stop or recall the payment as soon as possible.
5. Open a case at your nearest police station (SAPS) with screenshots, numbers and proof of payment, and ask for the case number. Your bank will ask for it to dispute the charges.

If you feel in danger or are being threatened, call 10111, or 112 from a cellphone. You will find more about getting money back on our blog.

Frequently asked questions

I'm expecting a parcel from overseas. How do I know whether the charges are real? Check the shipment on the courier's official website or app with your tracking number, typing the address in yourself. If there are real charges, they will appear there with the amount and the payment options. Never pay from the link or the call you received.

They called and I gave my name and address, but not my card. Is that a problem? There is no direct risk to your money, but that information makes the next attempt more convincing. Be wary of any later contact that uses it, and never give banking details over the phone.

Someone I met online sent me a gift and now customs wants money. Is that normal? No. It is a well-known variant of the romance scam. No customs authority asks for payments into personal accounts or for "certificates" to release a gift. Cut contact, do not send money and report it.

Can I complain if the bank won't refund me? Yes. First complain to your bank in writing, attaching the case number. If you are not happy with the answer, you can take it to the National Financial Ombud Scheme.

In short

A parcel held at customs that must be released with a small, urgent payment is one of the most common lures. The defence is simple: never pay from the message or the call, look up the order yourself and check it through the official channel. If you have already given your card, call your bank's fraud line and open a case. And if you have received one of these messages, report it in the NoCall spam numbers directory: your warning could stop the next person from paying.