Customs Duty scam returns

Once again New Zealanders are being targeted by opportunistic scammers sending emails and text messages that impersonate New Zealand Customs.

If you receive an email or text message like the one shown below, please do not respond to it. The message implies:

"Urgent reminder: Dear, your package has been in our storage since last week. Resolve or we will return it to the sender".

The message also provides a link which takes the receiver through a multi-step process to pay a small customs fee to release the package. 

New Zealand Customs do not contact individuals or businesses about paying customs duty. Imported goods are not physically received by Customs, but at warehouses run by licensed freight forwarders, known as Customs-controlled Areas (CCA's).

If you receive a text, please report it to the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) by forwarding it to 7726, then delete the scam text message.

For further information you can also refer to DIA's website on Scams and Phishing.