Tariff Confusion Creates The 'Perfect Storm' For Cybercriminals, Consumer Scams On The Rise

• As President Donald Trump's new tariff policies take effect, experts warn they are creating the perfect storm for a new consumer scam
• The scam, which takes the form of a "tariff payment request," exploits consumers' confusion about how tariffs work and how they are applied
• To protect yourself, look out for urgent messages, suspicious links, and a lack of transparency

President Donald Trump's new tariff policies have created a perfect opportunity for new consumer scams, experts are warning. 

The frequently changing policies and consumers' lack of knowledge about how tariffs work and are applied have created the "perfect storm for cybercriminals," Fortalice Solutions CEO Theresa Payton told CNBC. 

The new tariff scams typically look like "tariff payment request" texts or emails that appear to be coming from retailers, delivery services, or government agencies. Experts told the outlet that the scams work because consumers expect to be paying more due to the tariffs, but they aren't really sure how those tariffs work. 

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James Lee, the president of the Identity Theft Resource Center, told CNBC that it's not unusual for scammers to use a government action as the basis of a scam. Cybercriminals will "use the fact that people don't know a lot about tariffs" for their own gain, he said.

BforeAI's PreCrime Labs team said in a recent report that there had been 301 domain registrations from cybercriminals within the first three months of 2025. Some of these domains simply spread misinformation about tariffs, while others were full-fledged financial schemes aimed at businesses and consumers.

One particularly concerning site was a newly registered phishing domain titled "US Customs and Tariffs" that leads visitors to believe they are required to make payments to a legitimate governmental entity.

"Such payment requests are likely to be spread using email or messaging campaigns with a theme of urgent, pending payments, directing victims to the fraudulent site where their actions will result in financial losses," the report said.

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However, in some cases, consumers might legitimately be required to pay extra fees for products purchased from other countries. The customs duties can be charged by US Customs and Border Protection as a type of processing fee that must be paid in order to release an imported good. 

"That's not common, but it's also not unusual," Lee told CNBC. "It really does depend on what it is, where it's coming from."

Some consumers have received legitimate payment requests from carrier companies in order to receive their foreign shipments, according to the Washington Post. 

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Bernie Hart, the vice president of customs at Flexport, told CNBC this is because some carriers are acting as the importer of record, meaning they are responsible for any duties, taxes and fees that are applied to the delivery. 

So, how do you know if the tariff or customs fee you're being asked to pay is legitimate or fraud? Consumer Action's director of consumer protection, Ruth Susswein, told CNBC to look out for three red flags: unsolicited and urgent messages, suspicious site links or emails, and a lack of transparency. Your top priority, Susswein says, should always be to avoid sharing personal information like Social Security numbers, bank details, or account login credentials.

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