Third-party tobacco retail license application services are not trustworthy

“Hello, I am the owner of a new shop. I submitted my materials through an agency and have already paid. Why haven't I been notified to change my license yet?” On June 25 of this year, retailer Mr. Liu visited the first grassroots service station of the Tobacco Monopoly Bureau in Gaomi City, Shandong Province, for consultation.

“Brother, which agency did you use for this service? Let me see it,” asked the comprehensive administrator, Cao Chunyi, with a puzzled expression.

“Last month, it was mentioned at the integrity mutual aid group meeting that we need to change our licenses. I saw online that it could be done through an agency, so I found one and completed the process on my phone, and I even paid the fee. As far as I know, many of my peers have also come to handle the license change, but I haven't received any news about mine, so I came to the service station to ask,” Mr. Liu said.

“Mr. Liu, you have been scammed. There are no fees for renewing the tobacco retail license; you must come to the service station in person to handle it,” Cao Chunyi replied. Mr. Liu's face changed instantly upon hearing this.

Mr. Liu remembered that the monopoly inspectors had told everyone to bring materials to the local Tobacco Monopoly Bureau for processing and had not mentioned that this could be done through an agency. Seeing Mr. Liu hesitating, the caller explained, “The agency service is a newly launched convenience policy, and the fees mainly cover the agency fee and subsequent mailing costs.”

Mr. Liu believed it and inquired about the materials needed for submission. The information provided by the caller matched what the monopoly inspectors had said at the integrity mutual aid group meeting. The caller informed Mr. Liu to transfer the fees to a designated account, and after successful payment, a staff member would come to collect the relevant materials.

After hanging up, Mr. Liu received a text message from the caller with a link. He opened the link, filled in the relevant information, and submitted a payment of 299 yuan. However, by the end of the month, no one had come to collect the materials, and a worried Mr. Liu rushed to the service station for consultation.

“Mr. Liu, recently, some criminals have targeted the renewal of tobacco retail licenses, and everything they say is a scam. According to regulations, there are no fees for either new licenses or renewals of expired licenses. You can also remind everyone in the integrity mutual aid group to be cautious; any mention of fees for tobacco retail licenses is a scam, and everyone must be vigilant to avoid being deceived. Additionally, be wary of calls from strangers claiming to be staff from the local Tobacco Monopoly Bureau; you can verify by calling the area customer manager or monopoly inspectors,” Cao Chunyi said.