Ignore SMS about your handphone's tax status

KUALA LUMPUR: Ignore any SMS allegedly from the Customs Department enquiring about the tax status of your handphone.

The request from the Customs Sirim Integrated Electronic Common System (SPEKS) would ask whether tax had been paid for the handphone.

The department's Senior Assistant Director II, Iskandar Jaafar, said SPEKS had yet to be launched and that no company had been appointed to provide the service.

"Although we had announced that the system would be launched on April 1, its implementation was deferred on technical grounds," he said in a statement.

"The consumers were charged when they responded to the queries via SMS but did not get a reply," he said.

He added that the victims should lodge police reports.

Iskandar said SPEKS was being introduced to restrict the influx of illegal handphones.

He said that when enforced consumers could check the veracity of their handphones using the SMS with SPEKS.

Users will get the "tax paid" reply if their handphones are genuine. – Bernama

source: star-techcentral.com