The DIN can be verified from the official site
The Ministry of Finance has shared a post cautioning people against financial frauds which are being carried out “in the name of Indian Customs”. Sharing a poster of “Matrimonial Dating Scam”, the ministry's Twitter handle reminded people that Indian customs will never send a text message or call “for paying customs duty”.
The post said that one should look for the Document Identification Number (DIN), which is added to all communication from Indian Customs. The DIN can be verified from the official site of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC).
“Beware of fraudsters extorting money in the name of Indian Customs! Indian Customs never calls or sends SMS for paying Customs Duty in a personal bank account. All communication from Indian Customs contains a DIN which can be verified on the CBIC website,” read the tweet
In the recent past, several cases of such scams have been reported. In June this year, a couple from Maharashtra's Thane cheated a policeman of Rs 6.7 lakh by posing as customs officials. The police informed that this fraud took place under the pretext of getting the cop a new car at a cheaper price.
Based on the complaint of the victim, a case was registered against the couple and another person on the charges of cheating.
An official from Nayanagar police station revealed that the victim, who wanted to buy a car, came in contact with one of the accused, who introduced him to the couple. The official added that the couple claimed that they were customs officials who could facilitate the purchase of the car at cheaper rates.
Another similar incident was reported on June 27, when a 53-year-old man was cheated of more than Rs 4 lakh in foreign currency. The incident took place outside the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi by two men posing as Customs officials. The victim works as a labourer in Saudi Arabia and is from Rajasthan's Ajmer.