The Customs Department has warned people about scam emails that claim to be from the department.
“Fraudsters are sending personalised emails to potential victims telling them they are subject to import duty and tax fees whilst instructing them to transfer money to fake accounts in order to collect their packages,” Customs said.
Other such emails inform customers that their payments have been blocked and that they must contact the department in order to expedite processing. The email provided is a fraudulent one.
Customs will never contact customers directly to pay duty and taxes. It is the companies delivering items that contact customers for payment.
A sample scam email provided by the Customs Department.The department urged the public to ignore any suspicious emails and to avoid clicking any links they contain. Anyone who comes across such emails should report them to the police’s cybercrime unit.
Online scams have multiplied locally in recent months, with fraudsters sending out emails and SMS messages purporting to be from a variety of local companies or authorities, in attempts to trick people into giving away their personal and banking details.
Police said in June that they have been receiving more than 20 scam reports every single day.