15 April 2025 – Scamsters are calling people and telling them that they have been flagged for sending suspicious packages internationally. The fraudsters have the personal information of the people that they are calling, including their names, email addresses and identity numbers.
They intimidate people by threatening them with imprisonment for being in possession of illegal documents and drugs. They tell their targets that the matter needs to be taken up with the police and the call is then transferred to what is purported to be an official government line.
People are advised to end the call immediately. If they continue with the call, the fraudsters will undoubtedly use scare tactics to further phish and bribe them. SARS Customs will not call people to request any of this information. If a client has ordered or sent a parcel, the company that handled the initial transaction will engage with their client. Information about importing and exporting, including postal goods, is available on the Imports and Exports webpages.
