Customs scam

[Arthur Rubin]

Found on JustAnswers:

We are waiting delivery of a BOX from Mexico that our delivery person says we have to pay taxes of 39,000 before Customs will release it

I'll do all I can to help. Can you tell me more about what's going on?

Yesw, OK...this box contains my husband's 21 years of retirement money...it is sealed, supposedly can't be opened by anyone but me, I have the code...delivery person says customs is holding this box for 39000

Is there anything else the Expert should be aware of?

that is basically it...we want to know what customs agency has this item, or at least a phone number to call

I think I got to them in time. At least they knew to ask questions.

[wserra]

at least a phone number to call

1-800-SAY-GBYE.

[The Observer]

Yesw, OK...this box contains my husband's 21 years of retirement money...it is sealed

This response seems totally...whacko. Why would one have 21 years of, or for that matter, any amount of money stashed in a box? And if they did, why would they be having it shipped back as freight that has to go through customs? Even if this was a case of them having all of the money in cash in Mexico, could they not walked into any reputable bank there and had the money wired to a bank in their home country?

Maybe I am missing something here, but this sounds like a bad attempt at trying to get illegal proceeds out of Mexico and avoiding having it show up on a paper trail.

[Arthur Rubin]

The story mentioned at cbp.gov suggests it was drug money, or mixed drug money and legitimate money, that someone (possibly a relative, possibly a Nigerian prince) was trying to get out of Mexico. The 'mark' would get the legitimate money, and a finder's fee for the drug money....

My 'client' seems a bit too naive to be believable.

[The Observer]

The story mentioned at cbp.gov suggests it was drug money, or mixed drug money and legitimate money, that someone (possibly a relative, possibly a Nigerian prince) was trying to get out of Mexico. The 'mark' would get the legitimate money, and a finder's fee for the drug money....

My 'client' seems a bit too naive to be believable.

Then I second wserra's suggested phone number to call.