Question about import taxes - wondering if this is a scam email?

xxxpinkladyxxx

I've ordered from an American website and am now having issues. I received an email from a company called Customs Clearing Limited. The email says:

You have recently placed an overseas order that was shipped with DHL Global Mail. In order to release your shipment from Customs we kindly ask you to pay the incurred import charges to HM Revenue & Customs.

Payments should be remitted to Customs Clearance Limited, the authorised clearance agent of DHL Global Mail US in the UK. Customs Clearance Limited is acting as approved and authorised agent to collect import taxes due on behalf of HM Revenue & Customs.

Once the charge has been paid, your order will be delivered to you via DHL UK within 2-3 working days.

However, when I opened the email through hotmail.com, it came up with a warning message saying "Be careful, this company has failed our fraud detection checks".

I have the tracking number for my parcel which says it is being delivered via DHL, although I think that may have been just to get it from the US to the UK as it says that my parcel will be delivered by Yodel. So I called DHL and they said it isn't them that is going to be delivering this package. I then called Yodel and, after about 10 times of saying my massively long reference number, was told by an automated system that this code isn't valid.

I did order this parcel, all the details on the email are correct, it's just the fraud detection thing that sent alarm bells off in my head (as it would) and the fact that I've never paid custom charges before until my parcel is delivered. I usually end up paying at the door. Does this sound genuine?

Sorry not sure if I'm in the right part of the forum for this but hopefully someone can help

torbrex

What was the initial greeting?

If it said 'dear (your name)' then it might be genuine but if your name is not in the greeting then it will most certainly be a scam to get you to click on a link in the email.

I get at least one of these emails a week and I have not ordered anything from anywhere never mind overseas.

xxxpinkladyxxx

It does say my full name in the greeting. And the website links all seem legit. But then I don't know much about these kind of scams. I thought about calling the number but then I thought if it was a scam, they would probably set up a phone number to make them seem more legit.

torbrex

You could do a 'who-is' check on the phone number, there are plenty of websites that run checks on numbers and let you know if they are genuine.

For myself, I would err on the side of caution and not pay upfront, better to wait until they contact you again.

purdyoaten

Customs Clearing Ltd is a legitimate company - I was involved in importing a high value painting from USA last year and this was the company involved with the import charges.

The only question, of course, is whether or not the e-mail is genuinely from them. Phone them.

xxxpinkladyxxx

Thanks. I've googled and googled this and all I can find is that it's legit. I've paid through paypal so hopefully I'm covered should I have been conned!

frozencherries_2

Hi, just wondering what happened with your order? I've just received exactly the same email and don't want to pay if it's not definitely legit.

MixlexiC

its a scam you pay DHL at the depot when you pick up, they'll never ask for payment over the net
SCAM

soolin

frozencherries wrote: »

Hi, just wondering what happened with your order? I've just received exactly the same email and don't want to pay if it's not definitely legit.

The thread is 2 years old and I doubt the OP will be back to update this.

MixlexiC wrote: »

its a scam you pay DHL at the depot when you pick up, they'll never ask for payment over the net
SCAM

I've always had to pay my import tax before receiving my parcel, I have never yet had to collect from DHL and pay then.

Maximiliana_m

I have received a similar email and wondering the same.
The company have a telephone number, which is answered when called.
The requested sum is £14 and I wonder if it is a large enough sum for scammers to bother with.