Customs Fee Delivery Scam: Small Business Defense

When this applies

Use this process when a text, WhatsApp message, iMessage or email claims that a business parcel cannot be delivered until a customs fee is paid. The same checks apply to an unexpected visitor claiming to collect a delivery-related payment. Messages may impersonate USPS, Royal Mail, DPD, Evri, FedEx, UPS, DHL, Amazon, SF Express, India Post, Blue Dart or another delivery service. A typical message says: “Your parcel is being held for a customs fee. Pay now to complete delivery,” then directs you to a payment page.

Decision steps in order

1. Stop before opening the link. Do not reply, enter card details or use a telephone number supplied in the message.
2. Match the claim to a real shipment. Check purchase orders, supplier emails and the company’s expected-deliveries list for the named carrier and tracking number.
3. Contact the person responsible for the order. Sole traders should check their own order records; small firms should ask purchasing or the relevant administrator whether customs charges were expected.
4. Verify through an independent route. Type the courier’s official website address yourself or use its established business account, then enter the tracking number there.
5. Check who should pay import charges. Confirm the agreed shipping terms with the supplier before authorizing any fee, because the sender, recipient or broker may be responsible depending on the order.
6. Treat pressure as a stop signal. Do not let a delivery deadline override normal approval controls, especially if the payment would bypass a second reviewer.
7. Record and report the attempt internally. Save the message, sender details and displayed web address so other staff do not approve the same request.

What to do if you already responded

• If you entered card or banking details, contact the financial provider immediately, block or replace affected cards and dispute unauthorized transactions.
• If you entered a business password, change it from a trusted device and end active sessions; also change any reused password.
• Review email forwarding rules, administrator accounts, payment permissions and recent customer communications for unauthorized changes.
• Warn staff if the compromised mailbox or phone could be used to send convincing delivery requests to colleagues or customers.

Most common warning signals

• An unexpected SMS, WhatsApp message, iMessage or email says a parcel requires a customs fee before delivery.
• The message impersonates a known postal or courier service but directs payment through an embedded link.
• The claimed shipment does not match the business’s purchase orders, supplier emails or expected-deliveries list.
• The request pressures an employee or administrator to pay before a delivery deadline.
• A visitor requests an unexpected parcel-related payment that was not confirmed through the courier’s official channel.

What to do now

1. Do not open the supplied link, reply to the sender or pay the claimed customs fee.
2. Match the carrier and tracking details against the business’s actual order records.
3. Verify the shipment by manually entering the courier’s official website address or using the established business account.
4. Confirm payment responsibility with the supplier and the staff member who placed the order.
5. Contact the financial provider immediately if card or banking details were submitted.
6. Change exposed business passwords, end active sessions and inspect administrator and email-forwarding settings.

Sources

• nation.ai
• cyberawareuk.co.uk
• righttoinformation.wiki
• www.dimsumdaily.hk
• www.police.gov.sg

Further reading

• Account and Payment Recovery After Tax Refund Phishing
• Account and Payment Recovery Scam Defense Guide
• Deepfake Ad and Voice-Clone Scam Wave

FAQ