I got a call claiming my courier/parcel is stuck with customs and demanding payment, is this legal?

Question

Someone called claiming to be from customs/FedEx/courier saying my parcel contains illegal items and I must pay a fine or share OTP to release it. I have been reading conflicting things online and I would like to understand what Indian law actually says about this, which Act and Section applies, what the realistic timelines and costs are, and what I should be doing right now to protect my position. If the matter can be resolved without litigation I would prefer that route, but I want to know what my rights are before I agree to anything or sign any document.

MyVakeel Legal Desk · Accepted Answer

I got a call claiming my courier/parcel is stuck with customs and demanding payment, is this legal? is governed in India primarily by Information Technology Act, 2000 – Section 66D, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 – Section 318 and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 – Section 351. The short answer is set out below, followed by the practical steps most people in this situation need to take. Read it alongside the specific provisions named, because the exact relief available to you turns on the facts you can prove on paper.

This is the 'digital arrest' / courier scam pattern, which is cheating by personation under Section 66D IT Act (impersonating customs/police/courier officials) combined with cheating under Section 318 BNS, since the caller dishonestly induces you to pay or share OTPs.

If the caller threatens arrest or legal action to pressure you (the 'digital arrest' variant where victims are kept on video call and threatened), this also amounts to criminal intimidation under Section 351 BNS, and in extreme cases, wrongful confinement-like coercion.

No genuine customs or police process in India requires you to pay a fine over a phone call, transfer money to a personal UPI ID, or stay on a video call under threat — official communication is always through written notices with verifiable department reference numbers.

Never share OTPs or make payments during such calls; hang up and independently verify by calling the courier company's official customer care number found on their website, not any number given by the caller.

If money has already been paid, report immediately to 1930/cybercrime.gov.in, since these scams typically route the money through mule accounts that can sometimes still be frozen within a short window.

What to do next: 1) Hang up immediately and do not share any OTP or make any payment; 2) Independently verify with the courier company using their official contact details; 3) If money was paid, call 1930 or file at cybercrime.gov.in immediately; 4) Report the calling number to the telecom operator and block it.

If the other side has already issued a notice, filed a case or set a deadline, treat the matter as time-sensitive — most remedies under Information Technology Act, 2000 – Section 66D carry limitation periods, and a delay you cannot explain weakens an otherwise strong case. You can post the details on the MyVakeel forum for a practising advocate to review, or book a paid consultation with a Bar Council verified lawyer in this practice area.