Anyone Heard Of This B O C Request Before

[Jack Peterson]

Our Cousins son ( a BOC Officer here in Dumaguete tells us that Operational Customs Officers ( Those checking stuff) are not Authorized to Collect any Tax from a Client, it has to be Paid at a cash office when it is due, Anything sent Via mail or Courier and has a tax levy on it is paid always (or should be)  Via the Company Concerned or the Post Office, this the way it is set up.

So he tells us that if you are asked by a Customs officer to pay, You tell him to go with you to the Cash Office. They won't of course. 

 

Jack  :)

 

 ps on BB Boxes, they are normally Tax free but if they suspect new stuff over a certain amount you will be Charged and likely spoken to by a Senior Officer as to what has been Sent wrongly in these Boxes.

[Mike S]

She contacted the BOC in Iloilo and they told her that the BOC would never send a text asking for money .... so it appears to be a scam ...... anyway she said she doesn't have the money to send to them so they can just keep it ..... also she has never met this guy in person so it could be a scam on his end also ..... makes me wonder how many Filipinas have fallen for this in the past or will in the future ..... :bash:

 

Thanks for all the replies .... :cheersty:

[frozenmystic28]

Sorry for chiming in without introducing my self first (I'm new here)... but i think its a love scam

http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2015/02/07/1421090/public-warned-vs-love-scammers

 

MANILA, Philippines - With Valentine’s Day only a week away, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) yesterday warned the public against falling for the sweet ways of “love scammers,” whose only intention is to extort money from their Filipino victims.

 

In a statement, the BOC said the online syndicate often targets single men and women who are looking for love online. They are also using the name of the bureau for their illegal activities.

 

“We are continuously receiving reports not only here in Manila but also from our provincial collection districts. However, very seldom do we receive official complaints, just phone calls from the victims that they have been scammed. But they don’t leave information. Maybe they are not comfortable talking about their predicament due to its sensitive nature,” Commissioner John Sevilla said.

 

The scam starts with the “love scammer” introducing himself as a foreigner from Australia, United Kingdom or the United States as he gets in touch with his prospective victims through Internet chat rooms, dating sites, or social networking sites like Facebook.

 

After several weeks or months of online interaction, the “love scammer” would send his victim a message, saying that he had sent a box containing expensive gifts – such as designer bags, jewelry, laptops and smart phones – via international door-to-door parcel, complete with a tracking number and invoice for the supposed shipment.

 

After several days, the victims would then receive an email, phone call, or text message allegedly from a BOC employee, informing them that a package was being held in the bureau and that it would be sent to them only after they pay duties and taxes to be deposited in a designated bank account or money transfer service.

The supposed BOC employee would even provide details of the breakdown of customs duties and taxes as proof. However, even after depositing the money, the victims would never get their packages.

 

“Please be advised that with regard to packages, parcels or even balikbayan boxes, the Bureau of Customs deals with the consolidator, forwarder or courier in charge of your package directly so if ever there is a problem with your packages, the BOC will not call, text or email you but will communicate with your consolidator, forwarder or courier,” Sevilla said.

 

Also, the BOC does not also provide assessments and computations of duties and taxes by email or text. These are computed and written in official BOC documents and are payable only to the bureau and not through any bank or money transfer service, he noted.

 

“We urge the public to be more vigilant against these scams. Prior to making any payment, we advise recipients of emails purportedly sent by the Bureau of Customs to inquire first through our public assistance contact channels,” the bureau chief added.

 

The BOC public assistance contact channels are landline: +632 9173201, email: ocompacd@gmail.com, and Twitter: @CustomsPH.

 

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Edited November 12, 2015 by Jollygoodfellow

[Dave Hounddriver]

i think its a love scam

 

I think you nailed it!  Good detective work.  Welcome to the forum.

[Mike S]

 

Sorry for chiming in without introducing my self first (I'm new here)... but i think its a love scam

http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2015/02/07/1421090/public-warned-vs-love-scammers

 

MANILA, Philippines - With Valentine’s Day only a week away, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) yesterday warned the public against falling for the sweet ways of “love scammers,” whose only intention is to extort money from their Filipino victims.

 

In a statement, the BOC said the online syndicate often targets single men and women who are looking for love online. They are also using the name of the bureau for their illegal activities.

 

“We are continuously receiving reports not only here in Manila but also from our provincial collection districts. However, very seldom do we receive official complaints, just phone calls from the victims that they have been scammed. But they don’t leave information. Maybe they are not comfortable talking about their predicament due to its sensitive nature,” Commissioner John Sevilla said.

 

The scam starts with the “love scammer” introducing himself as a foreigner from Australia, United Kingdom or the United States as he gets in touch with his prospective victims through Internet chat rooms, dating sites, or social networking sites like Facebook.

 

After several weeks or months of online interaction, the “love scammer” would send his victim a message, saying that he had sent a box containing expensive gifts – such as designer bags, jewelry, laptops and smart phones – via international door-to-door parcel, complete with a tracking number and invoice for the supposed shipment.

 

After several days, the victims would then receive an email, phone call, or text message allegedly from a BOC employee, informing them that a package was being held in the bureau and that it would be sent to them only after they pay duties and taxes to be deposited in a designated bank account or money transfer service.

The supposed BOC employee would even provide details of the breakdown of customs duties and taxes as proof. However, even after depositing the money, the victims would never get their packages.

 

“Please be advised that with regard to packages, parcels or even balikbayan boxes, the Bureau of Customs deals with the consolidator, forwarder or courier in charge of your package directly so if ever there is a problem with your packages, the BOC will not call, text or email you but will communicate with your consolidator, forwarder or courier,” Sevilla said.

 

Also, the BOC does not also provide assessments and computations of duties and taxes by email or text. These are computed and written in official BOC documents and are payable only to the bureau and not through any bank or money transfer service, he noted.

 

“We urge the public to be more vigilant against these scams. Prior to making any payment, we advise recipients of emails purportedly sent by the Bureau of Customs to inquire first through our public assistance contact channels,” the bureau chief added.

 

The BOC public assistance contact channels are landline: +632 9173201, email: ocompacd@gmail.com, and Twitter: @CustomsPH.

 

-

 

 

Thank you sir I will pass this info on to her as this is exactly what is happening .... :thumbsup:

:cheersty:

[Hey Steve]

This effort to scam (in similar ways as this) has happened to my wife as well and is rampant in the Filipina dating sites. I wish these people would be caught and put on display to end this criminal activity.

[Mike S]

This effort to scam (in similar ways as this) has happened to my wife as well and is rampant in the Filipina dating sites. I wish these people would be caught and put on display to end this criminal activity.

 

All except this is a 2 way street ..... look at all the Filipinas scamming foreigners ..... if you wants to ride youse pays your ticket ..... just another example of how the invention of the internet can both both a blessing or a curse ..... there are many good .... sincere and loving Filipinas out there on dating sites but also so vicious scammers on both sides of the coin .... thank god I don't have to try to find my J this day and age .... now it kinda looks like a turkey shoot .... JMHO  :thumbsup: 

:cheersty: