Two islanders have lost a combined £30,000 to a new scam which uses fake GST documents to persuade their victims to send them personal information.
Criminals have been contacting people about sending high-value goods to Jersey.
They provide their targets with what looks like official Jersey Customs and Immigration Services documents, to pretend to prove that they have already paid GST on the goods.
However, the scammers then tell their victims that, for the goods to be released, they need to reimburse them for the GST that they claim to have paid, despite the goods not existing.
The police and JCIS have issued a warning about the fraudsters. They say if islanders are concerned or have raised suspicions, they should:
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Contact Jersey Customs directly at RGC@gov.je to verify authenticity.
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Be cautious of unsolicited offers involving goods being shipped to Jersey.
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Never share personal or financial information with unknown individuals.
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Report any suspicious activity to the States of Jersey Police.
JCIS has reiterated the fact that it will never use a third party or unofficial channels to contact people about GST payments.
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