Airport customs illegal parcel scam - beware!

[openmind]

Not necessarily cycling related, but I wonder if my details leaked via an online entry system. I got a call from someone claiming to be from customs at the Cape Town airport saying that they had intercepted a suspicious parcel with my name, ID and cell number as the sender. They said there were drugs in the parcel and that it would be sent to the police for investigation. I was then transferred to a supposed police officer who said I would need to make a complaint of ID fraud and get a clearance certificate. They would phone me again on Monday. 

I checked with my lawyer - it's a scam. Not sure how it progresses but maybe I'll play along if they call back and see how the payoff works. Will report back.

Just thought I'd mention it here as the details they have are exactly what online entry systems want from us. And the operation was super slick - I'm pretty good at detecting scams but they had me seriously worried at a point. 

[Barry]

1 hour ago, openmind said:

Not necessarily cycling related, but I wonder if my details leaked via an online entry system. I got a call from someone claiming to be from customs at the Cape Town airport saying that they had intercepted a suspicious parcel with my name, ID and cell number as the sender. They said there were drugs in the parcel and that it would be sent to the police for investigation. I was then transferred to a supposed police officer who said I would need to make a complaint of ID fraud and get a clearance certificate. They would phone me again on Monday. 

I checked with my lawyer - it's a scam. Not sure how it progresses but maybe I'll play along if they call back and see how the payoff works. Will report back.

Just thought I'd mention it here as the details they have are exactly what online entry systems want from us. And the operation was super slick - I'm pretty good at detecting scams but they had me seriously worried at a point. 

When they call Monday thank them for the heads-up! Inform them you always split your shipments; one parcel was a small sacrifice.

[betaboy]

Just ask them to  return to sender, it’s most properly “old stock” that was from US Postal team for a certain CapeTown rider! 😂😂😂. Lost in the Postal Gate SA!

[Jimmy 2.0]

Download an app called true caller and search the number. If it doesn't recognize the number then it's a burner number

[Furbz]

14 hours ago, Jimmy 2.0 said:

Download an app called true caller and search the number. If it doesn't recognize the number then it's a burner number

Sort of, numbers are being recycled these days.

you might get the previous owners details

[eddy]

22 hours ago, Jimmy 2.0 said:

Download an app called true caller and search the number. If it doesn't recognize the number then it's a burner number

Watch out. True caller allows users to edit the name of the caller.

I got a call identified by TC as Absa Digital Banking warning me about "suspicious transactions" that "needed reversing". They were slick but it was a scammer using True Caller to give legitimacy.

Be warned ⚠️ 

[openmind]

On 12/5/2025 at 4:50 PM, openmind said:

Not necessarily cycling related, but I wonder if my details leaked via an online entry system. I got a call from someone claiming to be from customs at the Cape Town airport saying that they had intercepted a suspicious parcel with my name, ID and cell number as the sender. They said there were drugs in the parcel and that it would be sent to the police for investigation. I was then transferred to a supposed police officer who said I would need to make a complaint of ID fraud and get a clearance certificate. They would phone me again on Monday. 

I checked with my lawyer - it's a scam. Not sure how it progresses but maybe I'll play along if they call back and see how the payoff works. Will report back.

Just thought I'd mention it here as the details they have are exactly what online entry systems want from us. And the operation was super slick - I'm pretty good at detecting scams but they had me seriously worried at a point. 

I now realise that part of the reason I thought it might be legit was that after the first call dropped they called me back from a number that I had saved on my phone as “Airport “. (0219371200). So that’s what I saw on my phone when they called the second time. I called that number now and it is the CPT airport call centre. So either the scam operates out of the actual airport or they have managed to falsify the CLI (caller line identity) of their scam number. The first time they called it was from an 065 cell number that just goes to voicemail. Unreal.

[openmind]

Looks like it's an old scam:

https://www.sars.gov.za/latest-news/alert-scamsters-are-pretending-to-be-customs-inspectors-from-sars-customs/

Goes to show - slow down and do some Googling while on a call like this! 

Edited December 7, 2025 by openmind

[Mamil]

22 hours ago, eddy said:

Watch out. True caller allows users to edit the name of the caller.

I got a call identified by TC as Absa Digital Banking warning me about "suspicious transactions" that "needed reversing". They were slick but it was a scammer using True Caller to give legitimacy.

Be warned ⚠️ 

Had the same thing with true caller identifying number as standard bank.  Knew a lot about me gleaned i suspect from the trnsunion hack of a few years ago.  Sophisticated. Intelligent. Disappeared when i indicated that i knew they were crooks

Makes me worry for people in my family who aren't as alert. 

[eddy]

19 hours ago, Mamil said:

.Sophisticated. Intelligent. 

And manipulative. 

When I wouldn't give her info she asked for, she started crying and told me I didn't trust her because she was a black woman and that I would gladly have answered her questions if she was an "Afrikaner man"

[The Ouzo]

3 hours ago, eddy said:

And manipulative. 

When I wouldn't give her info she asked for, she started crying and told me I didn't trust her because she was a black woman and that I would gladly have answered her questions if she was an "Afrikaner man"

I just tell them if I have to prove who I am, the need to prove who they are. 
had one person that I already suspected to be a scamster get very upset with me and hang up, as for the rest they usually comply in one way or a nother. 

[El Duderino]

On 12/5/2025 at 4:50 PM, openmind said:

Not necessarily cycling related, but I wonder if my details leaked via an online entry system. I got a call from someone claiming to be from customs at the Cape Town airport saying that they had intercepted a suspicious parcel with my name, ID and cell number as the sender. They said there were drugs in the parcel and that it would be sent to the police for investigation. I was then transferred to a supposed police officer who said I would need to make a complaint of ID fraud and get a clearance certificate. They would phone me again on Monday. 

I checked with my lawyer - it's a scam. Not sure how it progresses but maybe I'll play along if they call back and see how the payoff works. Will report back.

Just thought I'd mention it here as the details they have are exactly what online entry systems want from us. And the operation was super slick - I'm pretty good at detecting scams but they had me seriously worried at a point. 

This exact thing happened to me. A call from a legitimate looking number at Cape Town International Airport. I was a bit confused and freaked out. But, I just happened to be driving to SAPS to verify a document, and I said to the caller to call me in five minutes and explain to SAPS official what the issue was. He put the phone down and never called back. 

[openmind]

4 hours ago, El Duderino said:

This exact thing happened to me. A call from a legitimate looking number at Cape Town International Airport. I was a bit confused and freaked out. But, I just happened to be driving to SAPS to verify a document, and I said to the caller to call me in five minutes and explain to SAPS official what the issue was. He put the phone down and never called back. 

I noticed that too - the caller id of the first call was from the actual airport phone number and when I was called back yesterday by the supposed "constable" (who I told to sod off) the caller id was from the Western Cape Provincial Police number. So the scam must be operated from a reasonably sophisticated call centre where they have the kit to manipulate the caller id. 

This technique makes tools like True Caller useless as it will just further convince you that the scam is real. 

Edited December 9, 2025 by openmind