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Got a Text Asking You to Pay Customs Duty While Waiting for a Parcel from Abroad? Scam Signs Flagged by Japan Customs and Japan Post, and How Duty on International Mail Is Really Paid
When you are expecting a parcel from abroad, you may receive a text or email asking you to pay customs duty or clearance fees. Based on warnings from Japan Customs and Japan Post, this guide covers the signs of fake messages, the fact that Customs does not send SMS to the public, how duty on international mail is actually paid (a tax notice and payment slip), and what to do and whom to contact if you receive one.
Written by Koetsu Co., Ltd.
If you have ordered from an overseas online store or are expecting a parcel from family or friends abroad, a text or email saying "customs duty is unpaid" or "your parcel cannot be delivered until you pay a clearance fee" can be unsettling. When you are actually waiting for a parcel, it is easy to assume the message is genuine.
Based on warnings that Japan Customs (the Customs and Tariff Bureau of the Ministry of Finance) and Japan Post have published on their official websites, this guide sets out the signs of fake messages and how the process really works when tax is due on international mail. Koetsu sells goods purchased abroad in Japan, and we share this as basic advice for receiving parcels.
Customs does not send text messages
According to a Japan Customs warning, texts and emails have been seen with wording such as "Customs and Tariff Bureau [Important notice]", "[Customs and Tariff Bureau: final notice of seizure]" and "Customs duty [final notice of seizure]: request for payment of unpaid tax", along with a URL. Customs urges people not to open the URL and not to make any payment.
The same warning states clearly that the bureau does not send SMS to members of the public, and that it does not send emails except in reply to an inquiry or where it has contacted the person in advance. It advises deleting such messages.
Another Customs warning describes cases where people were led to a fake site impersonating the Customs duty payment site. It explains that the real payment site is used in front of a customs officer, for example to pay by credit card when you exceed the duty-free allowance on entering Japan, and that Customs therefore never sends SMS directing people to it.
How tax on international mail is really paid
So what happens when tax really is due on mail from abroad? According to Japan Customs' Customs Answer 6101, an overview of customs procedures for international mail, the process for items with a dutiable value of 200,000 yen or less divides as follows.
| Case | What happens |
|---|---|
| No tax due | Japan Post delivers the item directly to the addressee |
| Total tax of 10,000 yen or less, or over 10,000 yen up to 300,000 yen where the addressee asks for delivery | A tax notice (国際郵便物課税通知書) and payment slip are delivered with the item; you ask Japan Post to handle the payment, pay the tax amount plus Japan Post's handling fee, and receive the item on the spot |
| Other cases | Only the tax notice is sent; you collect the payment slip at the post office shown, pay at a bank counter or a post office savings counter, and then receive the item (Japan Post's handling fee is also charged) |
In other words, when tax is due on international mail, payment is basically made through a paper tax notice and payment slip. Entering your card number through a link in a text message is not part of this process. Items with a dutiable value over 200,000 yen and some other cases follow a different procedure that requires an import (tax) declaration.
Customs may also send a postcard, a notice of customs procedures for mail arriving from abroad, asking you to submit documents. This too arrives on paper, and you respond by post, in person or by phone to the customs office named on the postcard. If you are unsure, contact Customs using details you look up on its official website, not the number in a message.
Signs of messages impersonating Japan Post
Japan Post also warns about suspicious emails and texts impersonating it. Signs it lists include unnatural Japanese, typos and wording designed to cause anxiety, such as "if you do not pay within XX hours, delivery will be cancelled". Its examples include emails that pretend to request redelivery fees or customs clearance fees.
- Pressure to pay within a short deadline such as 24 or 48 hours
- A claim that your address was incomplete or you were out, asking you to enter your address or card details via a link
- Strong language such as seizure or arrest to make you anxious
- Directing you to a phone number or payment site given in the message
The Customs warning also describes automated calls claiming "your parcel is being held at customs" that transfer you to someone posing as the police, and cases where a real Customs phone number is displayed. Customs states that it does not make automated calls, and advises hanging up and then consulting Customs even if the call appears to come from a genuine number.
What to do and whom to contact
If you receive a text or email asking you to pay customs duty or a clearance fee, the basic response is not to open the link, not to pay and to delete it. To check on your parcel, enter the tracking number yourself on the official website or app of Japan Post or the carrier concerned, rather than using the link in the message. We explain tracking numbers in Tracking a parcel from Japan: order number vs tracking number.
If you have already opened a link and entered card details, or have sent money, contact your card company or bank immediately and also consult the police. Phishing can also be reported through the National Police Agency's Phishing 110 page. For worries about messages impersonating Japan Post, Japan Post suggests contacting your nearest police station or the police consultation line #9110.
Whether tax applies and how much depends on the type of goods, their value and how they are sent, and this guide does not cover individual tax amounts. If you have questions about a particular parcel, check the Japan Customs website or ask a customs counselor. For questions about Koetsu's products or business, please use the contact link below.
Sources and further reading
- Japan Customs: Beware of suspicious SMS and emails impersonating the Customs and Tariff Bureau and demanding duty payments (Japanese)(Checked: )
- Japan Customs: Beware of suspicious calls, emails and transfer fraud using the Customs name (Japanese)(Checked: )
- Japan Customs, Customs Answer 6101: Overview of customs procedures for international mail (Japanese)(Checked: )
- Japan Post: Beware of suspicious emails and fake websites impersonating Japan Post (Japanese)(Checked: )
- National Police Agency: Phishing 110 (Japanese)(Checked: )
