If an email says you must pay a customs fee immediately, treat the request as unverified. Don't click its link, scan its QR code, call its number, reply, or open its attachment. Check the order through the retailer's account and the shipment through the carrier's website or app, using contact details you find yourself.

The charge might be real, but the email isn't proof. Scammers can include a genuine-looking tracking number, logo, amount, or delivery deadline. The payer, currency, amount, and payment method should fit both your order records and an invoice or balance shown through an official carrier or customs channel.

This guidance is for U.S. consumers checking messages about incoming packages. Import charges and carrier procedures vary by destination, product, shipping terms, and carrier.

What a customs charge might include

"Customs fees" can refer to several separate charges:

• Duty or tariff: A government assessment based on the product, origin, classification, and declared value.
• Tax: An import tax or consumption tax, where applicable.
• Brokerage or clearance charge: A carrier's or customs broker's service fee.
• Other shipment charges: These should be listed as separate line items on an official invoice.

There is no single customs-fee percentage or flat brokerage charge for every package. A generic email quoting an average rate won't establish what you owe.

Your order's shipping terms matter too. Check whether import charges appeared at checkout, were prepaid by the seller, or were assigned to you. UPS's U.S. customs guidance says recipients may receive notice of additional charges on an international shipment. It also says that, when a shipper has no UPS payment account and pays by credit card, the shipment defaults to DDU, meaning duties are unpaid.

That explains why a recipient might be asked to pay. It does not make a particular email genuine, nor does it settle a disagreement between a retailer and carrier. Use the checkout record and the carrier's shipment record to resolve that question.

Warning signs of a fake customs-fee email

Look twice if a message:

1. Arrives when you aren't expecting a package. If you didn't place the order, don't use the message to try to "fix" delivery.
2. Creates pressure. Claims that a parcel will be destroyed, returned, or held unless you pay within hours are meant to rush your decision.
3. Uses an unfamiliar link. A logo, branded colors, or a convincing payment page doesn't show that the site belongs to UPS, DHL, FedEx, the retailer, or a government agency.
4. Requests more information than a shipment needs. Be wary of demands for card details, bank information, passwords, or other personal data.
5. Contains mismatched details. Compare the name, tracking number, destination, order date, currency, and amount with your order.
6. Includes an unexpected attachment. Don't open an invoice or form that you weren't expecting.
7. Has a look-alike sender address. The display name can be faked. DHL Express' phishing guidance says DHL email addresses end in dhl.com. A matching domain is still only one check, not a guarantee.

The Federal Trade Commission's guidance on fake shipping notifications warns that these messages can lead to sites that collect personal or financial information or install malware.

How to verify the notice without using its link

1. Leave the message alone. Don't click, reply, call, scan, or open anything in it.
2. Open the retailer's account independently. Type the retailer's known web address or use its app. Check the order, tracking number, delivery address, and shipping terms for any import-charge notice.
3. Track the shipment yourself. Type the carrier's web address into your browser or open its app, then enter the tracking or air waybill number. For DHL, use its official tracking service or MyDHL+.
4. Ask the carrier through a verified channel. Use the phone number on the carrier's website, a trusted invoice, or the retailer's account. Ask whether the shipment has a balance, who is responsible for it, and where to find the itemized invoice.
5. Match the invoice to the order. Check the tracking number, amount, currency, payment recipient, and line items. Ask about anything you can't identify.
6. Pay only after the checks agree. If the balance appears in the carrier's verified account and matches the order terms, use the payment method provided there. Keep the invoice and receipt.

The FTC recommends checking delivery status through the site where you bought the item and contacting the shipping company through a phone number or website you already know is real. That route is safer even when the suspicious message includes a real tracking number.

Carrier-specific checks

UPS

A UPS notice can concern additional charges on an international shipment, especially when duties or fees were left unpaid for the recipient. Check the shipment in UPS's tracking or billing system and compare it with the seller's shipping terms. A familiar UPS service name or fee doesn't authenticate the message.

DHL

Enter the airway bill in DHL's official tracking service or MyDHL+. DHL's Fraud Awareness guidance says to report suspicious activity to [email protected]. Use the address displayed on DHL's own page, not one supplied by the email.

FedEx

Enter the tracking number on FedEx's website or app reached independently. If the tracking record shows no customs balance, contact FedEx through its verified support channel before taking action. A FedEx logo, sender name, or urgent subject line is not enough.

The carrier's name doesn't override the retailer's shipping terms. If checkout says import charges were prepaid but the carrier requests payment, ask the retailer and carrier to reconcile the difference before you pay twice.

Safe customs-fee email templates for consumers

Don't send these replies to an unverified sender. Submit them through the retailer's known support page, the carrier's official contact form, or a phone channel you found independently.

Ask the retailer to verify the charge

Subject: Please verify the customs charge for order [Order Number]

Hello,

I received a message requesting [Amount] for customs or delivery charges on order [Order Number]. I won't use the link or attachment in that message.

Please confirm the shipment's tracking number, whether import charges were prepaid or assigned to me, and the official way to review or pay any valid balance.

Thank you,

[Name]

Ask the carrier for an official invoice

Subject: Verify customs balance for shipment [Tracking Number]

Hello,

Please confirm whether shipment [Tracking Number] has a customs, tax, brokerage, or clearance balance. If it does, please provide the itemized invoice and explain how I can access it through your official payment channel.

I received an email about this shipment but did not use its link or attachment.

Thank you,

[Name]

Both templates request verification without sending card details or accepting the amount stated in an unsolicited message.

How to report a suspicious shipping message

For a suspicious DHL email, follow DHL's official fraud-reporting guidance. Where possible, send the suspicious email as an attachment. DHL says a normal forward may leave out the complete mail headers needed to trace the sender. Don't click links or open attachments before reporting.

For a suspicious DHL text message, send a screenshot and include the phone number, following the instructions on DHL's page.

For another carrier, use the fraud or support page reached from its official website. Don't send the message to an address printed inside it unless you have confirmed that address independently.

You can also report the incident to the FTC through ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Include the sender's address or phone number, the message, tracking number, requested amount, and any payment information you shared.

What to do if you clicked or paid

Stop communicating with the sender and act on the account or payment exposure:

• You entered card or bank details: Call the financial institution using the number on your card or statement. Say the information was submitted to a suspected shipping scam and ask what protective steps are available.
• You reused a password: Change it from a clean device and turn on multifactor authentication where available.
• You opened an attachment or installed software: Disconnect the device from sensitive accounts while you run its security tools or seek qualified technical help.
• You sent money: Contact the bank, card issuer, payment app, or other payment provider immediately. Don't wait to see whether the package arrives.
• You need evidence: Keep screenshots, the original message, complete headers when available, payment records, the tracking number, and the time of the incident.
• You need to report it: Use the carrier's verified reporting route and file an FTC report.

A fraud report documents the incident, but it doesn't replace contacting the payment provider about a transaction or exposed account.

If the fee appears real but the amount is wrong

Request an itemized invoice through the carrier's or broker's verified channel. Compare it with:

• The retailer's order confirmation and shipping terms
• The product description and declared value
• The tracking or airway bill number
• Any tax or duty amount shown at checkout
• Proof of a payment already made

If the seller said import charges were prepaid, send the order record to the seller and ask it to coordinate with the carrier. If an invoice has a duplicated or incorrect line item, ask the carrier how to request a correction and keep the case number.

A government customs assessment, a carrier brokerage charge, and a merchant refund are separate issues. The right dispute or refund route depends on which party charged you and what the order terms promised. Refusing an email payment request does not necessarily cancel a valid shipment balance, so ask the verified carrier what happens next.

Frequently asked questions

Is every customs-fee email a scam?

No. A carrier may legitimately contact a recipient about unpaid import charges. But an email, logo, tracking number, or urgent deadline isn't enough to establish authenticity. Confirm the charge in the retailer's account and the carrier's system.

Should I pay customs fees through an email link?

Not before independent verification. Open the carrier's website or app yourself and look for the shipment and invoice. If no balance appears, contact support through a verified channel.

Can I calculate the fee from a template or average rate?

Usually not. The amount can depend on the product, origin, destination, declared value, applicable taxes, shipping terms, and carrier charges. Ask for an official itemized invoice instead.

Who is responsible for customs charges?

The order's shipping terms and the carrier's arrangement determine who is asked to pay. Review the checkout page and confirmation email, then ask the retailer or carrier to clarify a conflict. A message's claim about responsibility is not conclusive.

What if the message says my package is being held?

Check the tracking number through the carrier's website or app. If there is no matching hold or balance, treat the message as suspicious and report it. If the hold is real, ask for the official invoice and the consequences of waiting before deciding what to do. If you're looking at the message now, close it and start with the retailer's order page.