Finance Ministry cautions public against ‘Drugs in Parcel’ scam
Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs has launched a multi-modal campaign to spread awareness of such fraudsters’ modus operandi and urged people to immediately report such cases
Stepping in to act against the rampant ‘Narcotics Drugs in Parcel’ extortion scam that many have fallen victim to, the Union Finance Ministry’s Revenue department on Sunday advised the public to stay vigilant and stressed that Customs officials never call individuals over a phone or email to remit Customs duties in private accounts.
“Various incidents have come to light through news portals/social media platforms of fraudulent persons posing as Indian Customs officers cheating the public of their hard-earned money across the country. These frauds are primarily done using digital means like phone calls or SMS, and are focused on extracting money through the purported fear of immediate penal action,” the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) said.
CBIC mounts campaign against frauds committed in the name of Indian Customs
CBIC urges public to discern the modus operandi of fraudsters, protect their information, verify antecedents of caller and report such acts by staying alert
Read here: https://t.co/rDBt2NmOuIpic.twitter.com/lnwEuN7G57— PIB India (@PIB_India) June 16, 2024
The CBIC has launched a multi-modal campaign to spread awareness of such fraudsters’ modus operandi and urged people to immediately report such cases on www.cybercrime.gov.in or its helpline number 1930. Advising people to disconnect calls from people posing as courier staff or Customs officials, if there is any suspicion of fraud or irregularities, the CBIC also shared some of the common tricks deployed to carry out such scams.
“Fraudsters posing as courier officials contact via calls, text messages or emails claiming that Customs have held a package or parcel and requires payment of Customs duties or taxes before it can be released. As a pressure tactic, fraudsters impersonate Customs/Police/CBI officials and demand payment of Customs duty/clearance fees for packages/gifts that purportedly have been received from a foreign country and require Customs clearance,” a CBIC statement said.
The targeted individuals are asked to make payments for the release of their goods, or informed that their package has been seized due to illegal content such as drugs, foreign currency, fake passport, contraband items, or violations of Customs regulations.
“Fraudsters threaten legal action or fines and demand payment to resolve the issue,” the CBIC said, stressing that people should neither send money to unknown individuals nor share or disclose personal information such as passwords, credit card CVV (card verification value), or Aadhaar numbers with them.
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narcotics & drug trafficking