Seeing more NY and NJ confiscations at JFK sort?
Yeah, add me to the list—got the same JFK love letter on Monday. Mine cited "counterfeit document statutes" (18 U.S.C. § 499 and 500, the usual customs scare wording) and basically said if I wanted my package I'd have to go pick it up in person at the port. Sure, I'll hop on a plane to JFK to explain why I ordered IDs, right? The letter was form-style, no mention of the vendor, so it's clearly a random sweep rather than a targeted sting.
The more I look into this, honestly, the more it seems like a pattern out of the NY/NJ sort facility. People are reporting the same photocopied letters, same wording, kind of around the same timeline. I'm 99% sure it came down to packaging. My vendor used those metallic/foil-lined mailers—you know, the silvery bubble-wrap envelopes that look like they're containing electronics or something high-value. Those things absolutely scream on X-ray scanners. Customs at JFK has been known to flag any envelope that throws back a weird reflection, and once they open it the game's over.
Here's the red-flag pattern — if you start seeing multiple people report letters from the same port in a short window, that means the vendor is using a batch of packaging that's drawing heat. Metallic mailers are a classic giveaway. Also look for odd return addresses — if it doesn't match the region the vendor claims to ship from, that's another cue. Scam-wise, the real danger is a vendor who keeps sending the same risky packaging after confiscations happen; that means they don't care about your pack getting snagged. Some scammers even fake confiscation letters to avoid reshipping, but in your case the letter is a real one from CBP (you can verify the case number).
To protect yourself going forward, ask your vendor specifically what type of envelope they use. If they say "metallic" or "foil-lined," request a change to plain poly mailers or stealth packaging that blends in with normal junk mail. Also consider routing orders through a reshipper in a less-scrutinized port, or use a domestic drop. And track trends on the forums — if a port is hot, hold off ordering until activity dies down. JFK seems particularly aggressive right now, so for NY/NJ shipping, maybe look for vendors who use USPS Priority in plain flat-rate envelopes. Stay sharp, and don't assume your pack is safe just because your vendor has a good rep. The scans don't care about reputations.