Customs checks and import charges are real. So are fake parcel notices built around that uncertainty.
Don't pay because a text looks official. Verify the order, tracking record, charge, and payment recipient through websites you open yourself.
This advice is for U.S. consumers. Other countries use different customs, payment-dispute, and reporting processes.
Red flags in an international shipping scam
One odd detail can be a mistake. A cluster of them deserves a pause.
- An unexpected text or email says your parcel is held, undeliverable, or about to be destroyed.
- The link uses a lookalike domain, a shortened address, or an unrelated website.
- The sender requests a release fee, insurance payment, or customs charge without an itemized explanation.
- The message gives you only hours to act or threatens a return, seizure, or penalty.
- Payment must go to a personal account, crypto wallet, gift-card recipient, wire recipient, or unfamiliar payment page.
- The tracking number fails on the carrier's official website.
- The tracking record shows a different destination, seller, package, or delivery date.
- The supposed courier uses a generic email account or can't identify the shipper.
Logos are easy to copy.
Fake tracking links and courier messages
Turns out, a tracking number proves very little by itself. Someone can reuse a genuine number, build a believable status page, or send you to a fake payment form.
Open the retailer's order page and the carrier's website separately. Type the address yourself, use the official app, or choose the carrier through an order page you already trust.
| Check | Safer approach | Warning sign |
|---|---|---|
| Website | Enter the carrier address manually | A misspelled or lookalike domain |
| Tracking number | Compare the official record with your order | No record, wrong destination, or unrelated dates |
| Contact details | Use the phone number on the carrier's official site | A number supplied only in the message |
| Payment request | Confirm it inside an official account or invoice | A form asking for card, login, or identity details |
| Delivery status | Look for a consistent history of scans | A static page that only says "customs hold" |
An email or text from a carrier isn't automatically fake. The shipment record you verify independently matters more than the channel.
Customs fees and parcel-release demands
Customs charges can be legitimate. Depending on the item, value, origin, and delivery arrangement, an import may involve duties, taxes, fees, or other requirements.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection customs duty information describes import obligations. It also notes that other U.S. agencies may set requirements for particular goods. The eCFR collection rule for customs duties and fees covers the collection of duties, taxes, fees, interest, and other charges.
Those references show that customs charges exist. They don't validate a text message or connect a payment request to your parcel.
Thing is, no universal percentage approves or rejects every import charge. Ask for an itemized explanation showing the shipment reference, goods, declared value, type of charge, and payment recipient where applicable. Compare those details with the carrier's independently opened record and your purchase terms.
A government-sounding name proves nothing. Neither does a genuine tracking number.
Delays and subcontractors are not proof by themselves
International parcels can pause between carriers, warehouses, customs checkpoints, and local delivery services. Freight forwarders may also hand work to partners.
Neither fact alone establishes fraud. Compare the seller, carrier, tracking number, destination, invoice, and payment recipient; they should all describe the same shipment.
If one detail changes after you pay, stop and verify through a contact you found independently.
Extra checks for freight forwarders and marketplace orders
Freight forwarding puts more parties between you and the payment. That can be legitimate. It also makes vague promises and changed bank details worth checking before you send a deposit.
Ask for these details in writing:
| Ask for | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| The company's legal name, address, and role | Shows who is arranging transport and who receives payment |
| An itemized quote | Separates freight, brokerage, duties, storage, insurance, and delivery costs |
| A shipment reference and named carrier | Lets you verify movement outside the seller's own page |
| Written confirmation of any payment change | Helps detect a compromised email account |
| Terms for delays, cancellation, and claims | Clarifies what the company actually promises |
A low quote isn't automatically a scam. Missing paperwork, pressure, and unexplained charges matter more. Subcontracting may need clarification, but it isn't proof of fraud by itself.
A verification workflow before payment
Pause first. Don't click.
- Close the message and save a screenshot showing the sender, date, wording, and link.
- Open the retailer or marketplace account by typing its address yourself.
- Enter the tracking number in the carrier's official tracking tool.
- Check whether the destination, sender, parcel history, and order details match.
- Call the carrier or broker using contact information from its official website.
- Ask the seller to confirm who is requesting payment and whether duties or brokerage were prepaid.
- Review the itemized charge and payment recipient. If you can't match any part independently, don't pay.
A credit card may offer a dispute process that other payment methods don't. It isn't a guarantee against loss, so verify the seller first and keep your records.
If you already paid or shared information
Move quickly if money or personal data has already gone out. Ignore anyone who promises recovery for another fee.
To be honest, a second payment usually creates another problem instead of fixing the first one.
| What happened | What to do next |
|---|---|
| You paid by credit or debit card | Call the issuer using the number on the card and ask about its fraud or dispute process |
| You sent a wire, payment-app transfer, or crypto payment | Contact the bank or payment provider immediately and report the transaction through its official support channel |
| You entered a password | Change it from the real account website and turn on multifactor authentication |
| You uploaded identity documents | Contact the affected company and use a trusted identity-theft assistance route |
| You bought through a marketplace | Open the case from the order page, not from a link supplied by the seller |
Keep the order confirmation, tracking history, invoice, payment receipt, emails, texts, chat logs, and screenshots. Don't delete the message until you've preserved the relevant details.
Reporting an international shipping scam
Start with the marketplace for the seller or listing, and use the carrier's own fraud or customer-support channel for the shipment. If a message claims to be from USPS, open USPS's website yourself and follow its current reporting instructions.
U.S. consumers can report fraud to the FTC's fraud-reporting portal. For internet-based or cross-border crime, submit the details through the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center complaint form.
The IC3 website says it collects cybercrime reports and shares information with law-enforcement partners. It also says that a report doesn't guarantee a personal response or recovery.
Keep each confirmation number. Your bank, card issuer, marketplace, or investigator may ask for the same evidence later.
Before sending another dollar, open the order and carrier accounts manually and compare the tracking record with the itemized charge. If they don't line up, don't pay.