Looking to earn extra income working from home? Don't bother applying to a fake shipping or logistics business. It's a con, and your work may help scammers. This scam has reappeared many times in the past few years and is surging once again.
How the scam works
You receive an email offering you a job at a shipping service. The company is hiring "agents" to receive packages, inspect them for damage, and then repackage the items and mail them to a new address, sometimes overseas. The position reimburses "agents" for their expenses and pays a monthly stipend. It sounds like easy money, so you accept the job. You hand over personal information to get signed up and on the payroll.
Soon, your first assignment arrives. You are asked to ship something – often electronics, but sometimes other goods – to a new address. You send off the items, but your payment never arrives. You try to reach out to your new employer, but you're no longer able to contact them and your employee login no longer works on their website. You've been conned, and you may have just helped scammers move illegally obtained goods.
A consumer shared their experience with BBB Scam Tracker: "I was offered the job to receive and pick up packages, open them up to inspect them for damage and send pictures of the product to the company, then they would send me a shipping label to ship the product out...I was supposed to get a salary of $3000 plus bonuses...I have still not received my money...The website is not working now, I still can't login and there is no response from any of them."
Watch out for variations on this scam, such as requests that could open you up to ID theft. Some victims reported sending a copy of their driver's license with their "job application," which gave scammers their name, address and photo. A 2020 BBB report found that 65% of fake online job postings are related to becoming a “warehouse distribution coordinator” or a similarly-titled position involving package reshipment.
How to spot a reshipping scam
- Be very cautious of any job that asks you to share personal information or hand over money. Scammers will often use the guise of running a credit check, setting up direct deposit, or paying for training or your work equipment.
- Be wary of job opportunities that are emailed to you unexpectedly. While some legitimate job recruiters do reach out to potential hires unexpectedly, take extra caution when receiving information about a job that promises great pay and benefits and doesn't require a traditional interview process.
- If a job looks suspicious, search for it in Google. If the result comes up in many other cities with the exact same job post, it is likely a scam.
- Check out the business' website. Scammers often falsely use the names of real businesses. Check on the business’s site or give them a call to confirm the position exists.
For more information
Find out more about employment scams and read the BBB Institute for Marketplace Trust's 2020 study on employment scams.
To learn more about scams, go to BBB Scam Tips (BBB.org/scamtips). If you’ve been targeted by this scam, help others avoid the same problem by reporting your experience on the BBB Scam Tracker.
