We are warning about possible online fraud attempts related to customs clearance of shipments from stores outside the EU.
The new role of Poczta Polska, which has become the entity responsible for customs declarations for shipments from outside the European Union, has provided cybercriminals with a pretext to conduct dangerous phishing campaigns. The company reminds customers not to send any emails requesting additional customs documentation for goods purchased from Asian online stores. An email or text message with such a request is likely infected with a virus, and opening it risks disclosing sensitive personal data or even losing money.
The Polish Post Office is receiving reports of a new online fraud scheme exploiting users' ignorance regarding the European Union's implementation of the so-called VAT package for e-commerce. Online fraudsters have decided to capitalize on the change in the way parcels are handled by sending fake emails to customers, encouraging them to open a virus-infected attachment or link. This type of scam can also be distributed via text messages containing a link to an infected website.
After clicking on an attachment or link in a received message, your computer may be infected with a virus, in this case a Trojan horse, which allows criminals to steal data and take control of your computer. In the latest cybercriminal attack we've detected, the user may also be asked for login details for banking or other services. This could result in the disclosure of sensitive personal data or even the loss of funds from your bank accounts. We categorically clarify that Poczta Polska does not send emails to customers regarding customs and never asks its customers for their bank details.
Please report any messages of this type to: jakocjon@poczta-polska.pl . We also ask that you send the suspicious message as an attachment , not via "forward," as this complicates email analysis and delays identifying the perpetrator.
Under new EU regulations effective July 1 of this year, Poczta Polska (Polish Post) has taken over customs processing for shipments from outside the European Union, becoming the entity filing customs declarations on behalf of the recipient, i.e., an indirect representative. This means that postal workers can file customs declarations on behalf of customers importing goods from online stores in Asia.
The new regulations help reduce the scale of unfair competition currently posed to European producers by e-commerce operators from outside the EU, who supply goods to the markets of EU member states, largely without paying customs duties and VAT.