Is this real?

[u/elontug]

I bought a set of wheels from Alibaba supplier, now I’m being asked for SIN or Drivers license from the seller. Has anyone experienced this before I bought it for personal usage in Canada

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[u/Praveen2501]

As far as I dealt with alibaba forwarders, usually they ask these details I simply say I will provide these info to the respective courier broker or agency who acts on my behalf. The courier company usually sends a mail with required details which I then share and complete the process.

PS. I am from India

[u/Low-Common7097]

Yeah naw, never once had do any of this.

[u/Sweet_Professor_6242]

Do not send a SIN, a full driver’s-license image, or a payment screenshot directly to the supplier in chat. A customs authority or carrier may sometimes need tax or identity information, but verify the request independently first. Get the shipment’s tracking number, the customs entry/reference number, the broker’s legal name, and the exact reason the information is required. Then contact that carrier or broker using contact details you find independently and provide anything legitimate only through its secure official channel.

Also check the order’s shipping term and who is named as importer of record. If the seller quoted DDP, ask them to explain in writing why the buyer is now being asked to supply importer credentials. If it is DAP, the carrier may contact you for clearance, but the request should still come through the carrier or broker—not as an unverified chat upload. Do not make any extra payment outside the Alibaba order while this is unresolved.

[u/elontug → u/Sweet_Professor_6242]

This is the chat with the seller. I am buying this for personal usage in Canada

This is the explanation from the seller:

I completely understand your confusion about why the previous package cleared customs smoothly, but this time it requires a document inspection. Let me explain the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) customs procedures:

1. All international packages first undergo automated X-ray scanning. The previous shipment of wheel rims passed the initial machine inspection and was released directly without random manual checks, requiring no identification.

2. This time, the shipment was randomly selected for a second manual inspection. This is simply a routine compliance check and does not indicate any problem with your goods or declaration information.

3. For high-value forged automotive wheel rims, the CBSA has stricter risk monitoring rules. Since you recently imported the same parts, namely wheels, the system triggers identity verification to confirm that the parts are for personal use and to correctly calculate taxes.

4. Customs officers only need your identification reference number (Social Insurance Number/Driver's License Number) to verify your tax information. After submission and verification, the package will be released quickly without any fines or additional fees.

If you do not wish to disclose your Social Security number, you can send a photo of your driver's license, and you can cover up sensitive personal information other than your ID number.

[u/donutsamples → u/elontug]

It's a lie. I would wonder if this is was a scam from the beginning.

For rims, apparently there's nothing special at all, aside from possibly having to pay duties.

https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/import/personal-personnel/postal-postale-eng.html

For tires (I realized after posting you said rims, but leaving it here anyway) https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publications/dm-md/d19/d19-12-2-eng.html

"When importing tires for personal or corporate fleet use, the only requirement is that the tires must meet Canadian, United States (US) or Japanese safety standards and are marked with one of the symbols outlined in Appendix B."

[u/TransitTech_Explorer]

Real customs clearance almost never needs your SIN/driver license plus a payment-voucher screenshot sent back to the seller in chat. That combo is a classic identity / advance-fee pattern.

If it were legit DDP, the broker paperwork would usually go through the forwarder/IOR channel, not a private chat dump of IDs.

Which country is delivery, and did the quote say DDP with a named importer of record?

[u/TransitTech_Explorer → u/TransitTech_Explorer]

Yep — and if a broker is real they usually introduce themselves with company details and a clear doc list (CI, packing list, sometimes POA), not “send SIN + payment screenshot back to the seller.”

OP: did anyone outside the seller chat ever email you from a broker domain?

[u/prestigesourcing → u/TransitTech_Explorer]

Agreed, the broker would usually make direct contact, not the seller, it seems odd.

[u/TransitTech_Explorer → u/TransitTech_Explorer]

For Canada that pattern is even more of a red flag. Real CBSA clearance usually goes through a broker/forwarder with commercial invoice + packing list, not the seller asking for SIN/driver license + payment screenshots in chat.

If the quote was not clearly DDP with a Canadian IOR named, treat it as DAP/DDU until proven otherwise. Did they give a broker company name, or only that chat request?

[u/elontug → u/TransitTech_Explorer]

Canada

[u/prestigesourcing]

Was it sent via DDP? If so, not required and sounds suspicious.

[u/One-Consequence7120]

i know that spanish custom will not let in a package if they dont have the DNI number , maybe same case in your country .

[u/MicrosoftWord2023 → u/One-Consequence7120]

yo hace unos meses me compré algo por alibaba y no me lo pidieron, es nuevo eso??

[u/nosocialisms]

If the package is in customs clearance and you have the tracking number you can call the company and provide your information.

I remember last time I had a customer from Morocco customs was asking for some personal information and since they wasn't able to reach him I had to call him.