ieepa

CSMS #68569567 · Best Practices for Protecting Your Information Regarding IEEPA Refunds

📌 ETDETA brief — importer impact summary (educational)

Brief takeaway: This notice warns importers that scammers may try to steal account, company, or banking information by posing as helpers for IEEPA duty refunds, and it explains the only legitimate refund channel.

What changed: According to the notice, CBP has launched the Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries (CAPE) and expects scammers to use social media, email, and other methods to obtain importer information tied to IEEPA refunds. The notice states that filing a CAPE Declaration through verified accounts in the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) Secure Data Portal is the only way to request an IEEPA refund.

Who's affected: The notice names importers seeking refunds of International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) duties. It does not cite specific HTS chapters, codes, or countries of origin.

What to review:
- Confirm that any IEEPA refund request is submitted only through a verified ACE Secure Data Portal account via a CAPE Declaration, not through other websites.
- Review whether any email claiming to be from CBP comes from an official address ending in "@cbp.dhs.gov" before responding.
- Check that unsolicited offers to file refunds "on your behalf" in exchange for personal, company, or banking data are treated as potential scams.
- Confirm with your licensed customs broker who is authorized to handle refund filings for your accounts.

This is general information, not legal advice and not a compliance determination — confirm specifics with a licensed customs broker or trade counsel.

Official notice

Best Practices for Protecting Your Information Regarding IEEPA Refunds With the launch of the Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries (CAPE), CBP expects that scammers will attempt to use social media, email, and other communication methods to secure account information from importers in order to interfere with the process of refunding International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) duties . Don’t get scammed! Don’t be a victim! If someone you do not know tells you they will file for an IEE PA refund on your behalf if you provide them with your personal information, company information, or banking information , this may be a scam . Only provide such information to trusted and validated parties. Using verified accounts through the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) Secure Data Portal , filing a C APE Declaration is the only way to submit a request for an IEEPA refund . Do not enter any information into a website other than ACE that claims to process IEEPA r efunds. CBP will generally not request sensitive information to process IEEPA refunds, such as Social Security numbers, bank account details, or passwords , via email or text message. If you receive a request for additional information from CBP to verify your identity, check that the request is from an official CBP email address (all CBP email addresses end in “ @cbp.dhs.gov ” ) . Watch out for : Requests for personal or financial information Offers of refunds in exchange for data Unsolicited emails, c

Source: CBP CSMS · Read the official notice ↗

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This update is a general educational summary based on public CBP CSMS / Federal Register information. It is not legal advice, customs broker advice, a final classification, duty determination, entry instruction, or compliance determination. Importers should confirm applicability, effective dates, HTSUS/Chapter 99 reporting, rates, refunds, PSC procedures, and filing instructions with their licensed customs broker, trade counsel, and/or CBP.