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Beware of fraud impersonating Customs and Excise
The rise of online shopping has provided a plethora of convenience for consumers looking to purchase goods and services from the comfort of their own home.
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T
he rise of online shopping has provided a plethora of convenience for consumers looking to purchase goods and services from the comfort of their own home.
However, this very convenience can be used by unscrupulous sellers to deceive potential buyers.
Customs and Excise head of public relations and counseling sub-directorate Hatta Wardhana, revealed that online shopping fraud is often carried out by perpetrators impersonating government agencies, such as Customs and Excise, in order to be more convincing to potential victims.
Based on Customs and Excise contact center data released in May 2022, online shopping is the most commonly used method of fraudsters posing as Customs and Excise.
"In April 2022, we received a total of 644 complaints, a decrease of 1.98 percent compared to the previous month at 657 complaints. Meanwhile, the total number of complaints on online shopping fraud was at 326 cases, an increase of 3.2 percent from the previous month which recorded 316 cases," he explained.
Hatta emphasized that Customs and Excise does not contact the owner of the goods directly regarding the collection of import duties and taxes for importation (PDRI), as payments for state revenues are made using a billing code.
"We urge the public to always be vigilant before making transactions and ensure that the provisions for the clearance process for shipments by Customs on the www.beacukai.go.id/faq/barang-kiriman.html page are well understood. If you receive information that goods purchased from abroad are held at Customs, immediately ask for a receipt number and check the status of the shipment on the www.beacukai.go.id/barangkiriman page. If the seller cannot show the receipt number, we can be sure that it is fraudulent," he said.
Hatta advised members of the public to immediately confirm and report indications of fraud on behalf of Customs and Excise to the Bravo Customs contact center at 1500225 and via email at info@customs.go.id. Should any indications of fraud be found, they can make a police report via call center at 110 or the patrolsiber.id page, as well as reporting the perpetrator's account number to the respective bank to be blocked.
"Based on the confirmation of fraud that we received during April 2022, Customs and Excise succeeded in thwarting public material losses of Rp. 1,119,925,000 and foreign currency amounting to $3,320. This shows that the public are becoming more aware of due diligence in transacting and confirming indications of fraud," Hatta said.
In addition to the Customs contact center, the public can confirm and report indications of fraud through Customs official communication channels or social media, including Facebook at www.facebook.com/beacukaiRI and www.facebook.com/bravobeacukai; Twitter at @BeaCukaiRI and @BravoBeaCukai; and Instagram at @BeaCukaiRI.
"We are committed to providing services and education through various information channels, as the public can become more aware of indications of fraud impersonating Customs and Excise," he concluded.
