Customs denies fake vehicle import document

The General Directorate of Customs (DGD) has denied issuing a document that circulated online and carried its logo, saying the text was falsely attributed to it.

TSA and Algérie 360 reported the denial, which the DGD made public on 19 October.

The fake document warned against false papers used when importing cars for private buyers or dealers. It said some people had presented incorrect or falsified documents to win customs cuts and privileges.

The privileges it named apply to used vehicles less than three years old. The document also described cars sold or exported from their country of origin, then presented as new and passed off as used with forged foreign papers.

The DGD said the document was not issued by its services and had received no official approval. It added that the misuse of its logo and visual identity could lend credibility to unofficial information and mislead public opinion.

Algérie 360 reported that the DGD sees the misuse of its logo as the most serious point, because it gave the invented data an appearance of legitimacy.

Algérie 360 also warned that false information on vehicle imports can push people into useless steps, payments or commitments based on rules that do not exist.

The DGD said it publishes all official announcements only on its website and its certified Facebook, X and LinkedIn accounts. Anything circulating outside these channels does not commit the customs administration.

In spring, the Ministry of the Interior also denied a fabricated letter that announced new measures on used cars and appeared to come from the minister.

The DGD has asked citizens and businesses to check information with official sources before sharing any document, and to treat a text with no identifiable origin as suspicious.