Last reviewed: September 30, 2026. Reading time: about 10 minutes.
Whenever real money is on the table, scammers follow. CBP issued formal guidance in May 2026, and later a dedicated fact sheet, warning importers that fraudsters are using email, text, phone calls, social media and even physical mail to exploit confusion around IEEPA tariff refunds. Logistics and customs brokerage firms have independently reported fraudulent letters landing in their clients’ mailboxes.
This guide is not here to make you suspicious of a real refund you may be owed. It is here so you can tell the difference between CBP’s actual process and someone trying to exploit it. We cover it alongside our own eligibility checklist and step-by-step filing guide, which describe exactly what the legitimate process looks like.
The short version: CBP will never ask for sensitive information by email or text, refunds can only be claimed through the ACE Portal, and no one can guarantee what you will receive or when. Any contact that contradicts these three facts is worth treating with suspicion.
Transparency note: this guide is educational and written to help you stay safe, not to sell anything. Near the end, we do link to a referral partner we work with and may earn a commission if you apply through that link, clearly marked as such. Read our affiliate disclosure and disclaimer.
In this guide
- Red Flag 1: Unsolicited contact claiming you're already approved
- Red Flag 2: Requests for sensitive information by email, text or phone
- Red Flag 3: Links or attachments asking you to “verify” your refund
- Red Flag 4: Anyone offering a shortcut outside the ACE Portal
- Red Flag 5: Fraudulent letters or checks sent by mail
- Red Flag 6: Guaranteed amounts, guaranteed timelines
- Red Flag 7: Pressure to pay upfront, or to send money back
- How to verify a legitimate contact
- Where to report suspected fraud
- Frequently asked questions
Red Flag 1: Unsolicited contact claiming you're already approved
An out-of-the-blue message says you've been pre-approved for a refund
If you did not apply for anything, you are not receiving an approval. Legitimate refund activity starts with you, or your broker, filing a CAPE Declaration through ACE. CBP does not proactively notify importers that they have been approved for an IEEPA refund out of nowhere.
Red Flag 2: Requests for sensitive information by email, text or phone
Someone asks for your SSN, bank details, passwords or ACE login
CBP's own May 2026 guidance (CSMS #68569567) states plainly that CBP will not request sensitive data, including Social Security numbers, bank information or passwords, by email or text.
Red Flag 3: Links or attachments asking you to “verify” your refund
A message urges you to click a link to confirm eligibility
A common pattern: a text or email claims you are eligible for a refund and asks you to click a link to verify your information. These links lead to fake websites built to capture login credentials or personal details.
Red Flag 4: Anyone offering a shortcut outside the ACE Portal
A website or caller says they can process your refund outside the official system
CBP's fraud guidance is direct on this point: any external website or unknown party offering to process IEEPA refunds is likely fraudulent. There is exactly one official channel, a CAPE Declaration filed through ACE by the importer of record or their licensed broker.
Red Flag 5: Fraudulent letters or checks sent by mail
An official-looking letter or an actual check arrives unprompted
CBP has confirmed that fraudulent letters claiming to offer IEEPA refunds have been mailed directly to importers. Separately, a related scam pattern involves mailing a fake check labeled as a “tariff refund” or “tariff dividend,” with instructions to deposit it and wire back a portion for “fees” or “processing.” The check later bounces as counterfeit, after the wired money is already gone.
Red Flag 6: Guaranteed amounts, guaranteed timelines
A provider promises an exact dollar figure or a no-fail timeline
No one outside CBP can tell you exactly what you will receive, and even CBP's own figures are estimates until a declaration is actually processed. The process is still subject to ongoing litigation for some entry categories, which adds genuine uncertainty that no legitimate party can promise away.
Red Flag 7: Pressure to pay upfront, or to send money back
You're asked to pay a fee before any work is done, or to return part of a deposited check
Two versions of this show up. One is an upfront fee demanded before any filing happens, with no clear description of what you are paying for. The other, tied to Red Flag 5, is the classic overpayment scam structure: deposit a check, then wire part of it back.
How to verify a legitimate contact
Before you respond to anything about a tariff refund, run it through this short checklist:
- Check the sender's email domain. CBP's legitimate addresses end in @cbp.dhs.gov. Anything else claiming to be CBP is not.
- Go to ACE directly by typing the address yourself, never by clicking a link in an unexpected message.
- Confirm whether you, or your broker, actually filed anything. If you did not apply, you have nothing pending to be “approved.”
- Ask any company offering help exactly how they are paid, and whether they need your ACE login (they should not).
- If in doubt, verify with your own licensed customs broker before responding to anyone else.
Where to report suspected fraud
If something looks off, report it
CBP has set up a dedicated channel for exactly this. Reporting helps CBP track patterns and warn other importers, even if you did not lose anything.
- Email IEEPAFraud@cbp.dhs.gov with details of the suspicious contact.
- Submit a complaint through the DHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) Hotline.
- If CBP impersonation is involved more broadly, you can also report it through help.cbp.gov.
- Tell your customs broker. If one importer is targeted, others in the same network often are too.
Frequently asked questions
CBP's official communication happens through the ACE Secure Data Portal and legitimate @cbp.dhs.gov email addresses for things you have actually requested, such as scheduled ACE reports. It does not proactively solicit sensitive information by email or text.
Treat it with real suspicion, especially if it asks you to click a link or provide information. If you did not file a CAPE Declaration, there is nothing for you to be approved for, and legitimate refunds do not arrive via unsolicited text.
Yes. Customs brokers, trade attorneys, and referral services can legitimately help. The distinction is how they operate: through the official ACE process, without demanding your login credentials, and without guaranteeing specific amounts.
Contact your bank or card provider if financial details were involved, change any passwords that may be compromised, and report the incident to IEEPAFraud@cbp.dhs.gov and the DHS OIG Hotline as soon as possible.
No. Those scams typically target individual consumers with generic payment promises unrelated to any approved government program, and they are distinct from the entry-specific CAPE refund process available to actual importers of record.
Ask how they are paid, confirm they are not asking for your ACE login, and check whether they clearly disclose their role, such as an affiliate or referral relationship, rather than claiming to be CBP or a government-authorized processor.
Ready to check your eligibility the legitimate way?
Now that you know what to watch for, here's what a transparent process looks like: Tariff Refund Agency offers a free eligibility check, built around the official CAPE process, not a shortcut around it. It takes about five minutes, with no commitment and no request for your ACE login.
Start Your Free Eligibility Check
Affiliate disclosure: if you apply through this button, we may earn a commission from Tariff Refund Agency. Refund eligibility, amounts and timing depend on individual circumstances and are never guaranteed. Read our affiliate disclosure and disclaimer.
Sources and further reading
- Tariff Refunds Finder: IEEPA Tariff Refund: Are You Owed Money by CBP?
- Tariff Refunds Finder: Tariff Refund Eligibility Checklist for US Importers (2026)
- Tariff Refunds Finder: How to Claim a Tariff Refund, Step-by-Step for US Importers
- CBP: Fact Sheet, CAPE Refund Fraud Solicitation
- CBP: IEEPA Duty Refunds (official page, includes fraud warning)
- Kitsap Credit Union: Tariff Refund Scams, What You Need to Know
Educational only. Tariff Refunds Finder is not CBP, U.S. Customs or a government agency, and this guide is not legal advice. If you are a victim of fraud, contact your financial institution and law enforcement in addition to CBP.
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