{"success":true,"data":{"id":"fake-customs-release-fee-package-scam","label":"Fake customs release fee scam — package/parcel held/seized at customs/border + pay customs duty/clearance fee or package destroyed/confiscated","description":"Email impersonating a customs agency (US Customs and Border Protection, HM Customs and Excise, or similar) claiming the recipient's package or international shipment has been \"held,\" \"seized,\" or \"detained\" at the border and demanding payment of a customs duty, import duty, clearance fee, or storage fee to release it — with a deadline threat that the package will be \"destroyed,\" \"confiscated,\" or \"returned to sender\" if unpaid. Real customs notices arrive by postal mail (never cold email), are tied to actual shipments the recipient ordered, and are processed through licensed brokers or carrier websites. FTC 2024: delivery and customs impersonation scams caused $330M in losses; SMS and email variants spiked 400% during post-pandemic shipping backlogs. Scammers also use this pretext to harvest passport numbers and SSNs under the guise of \"identity verification for customs clearance.\"","tier":"danger","category":"scam","isThin":false}}