# How to report customs fraud?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-report-customs-fraud/499242>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 9, 2009, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-report-customs-fraud/499242 "2009-06-09T20:25:40Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-report-customs-fraud/499242/1 "2009-06-09T20:25:40Z")

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Recently I had to order some supplies for work, and, of course, I expensed them.

So, everything is cool, until I get someone asking me why my expense report was five times higher than what the packing slip says. Fortunately, I can prove my innocence by showing the invoice, which is full price.

If this was a person sending me something I bought on Ebay, that’s one thing. This is a company that reported only 20% of the product value to customs. This annoys me.

I’d like to report them, but from looking around on the 'net, all anyone seems to care about is customs fraud on textiles. These weren’t textiles.

How can I report this?

-Joe

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**Author:** ![Dog80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-report-customs-fraud/499242/2 "2009-06-09T22:03:39Z")

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Why not sort it out with the sender first? They probably did it to avoid import tariffs. Maybe if you report them you’ll have to pay the tariff.

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**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\
**Post date:** [June 10, 2009, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-report-customs-fraud/499242/3 "2009-06-10T01:49:59Z")

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Yes, in my experience some companies do this so that YOU don’t have to pay import duty.

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**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\
**Post date:** [June 10, 2009, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-report-customs-fraud/499242/4 "2009-06-10T01:53:55Z")

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Assuming you’re interested in going ahead with it, you might want to start here at [US Customs](https://apps.cbp.gov/eallegations/). (I’m assuming you’re in the US.)

> [@](#):
>
> You may also report trade violations by calling 1-800-BE-ALERT.
> 
> The Report Trade Violations button is to be used only to report illegal trade activity, such as quota circumvention or **misclassification of imports** , intellectual property rights infringement, and health and safety issues.