"Gift from abroad" held at customs until duty is paid
An online friend sends a "gift" that is held at customs, and an officer asks for duty and clearance charges.
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How it works
- Someone you met online, often claiming to live abroad, becomes a close friend and says they have sent you a gift of jewellery, phones or foreign currency.
- A "customs officer" or "courier company" then calls to say the parcel is held at the airport and duty or clearance charges must be paid.
- Each payment brings a new charge, and in the end the parcel and the friend both vanish.
What it looks like
Example messages. Numbers and links are masked.
My dear, I have sent you a small surprise: a gold watch, a phone and some pounds. Please collect it, the courier will contact you.
This is airport customs. A parcel in your name contains foreign currency. Pay Rs 35,000 duty today in this account, otherwise an FIR will be filed.
Red flags
- A gift from someone you never met
- Duty paid into a personal account
- A new charge after every payment
- Threat of a police case over a parcel
The one question to ask
Why would a real friend send a gift that costs you money to receive?
Already paid or shared details?
Call 1930 at once: in the first hour the money can often still be frozen before it moves on. Then call your bank on the number printed on your card, and file a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in with screenshots of every message and payment.
1930 · cybercrime.gov.in
Also seen as
- Online partner "stuck" at an Indian airport
- Parcel needing an "anti-money-laundering certificate" fee
- Matrimonial site match sending a gift