Greg's Corner

Reshipping scam resurfaces

By Greg Collier

When it comes to job scams, especially work from home scams, the reshipping scam is probably one of the most nefarious. This is a type of fraud where criminals purchase items with stolen credit card information and have them shipped to a person in another country or location.

The reshipper then receives the package, removes the original shipping label and replaces it with a new one addressed to the final destination, which is usually another location where the scammers can collect the items or resell them for a profit.

The scam works by exploiting the differences in the cost of goods and shipping fees between countries or regions, allowing scammers to purchase items at a lower price from one country and sell them for a higher price in another, using the stolen credit card information to cover the costs. The reshipper is usually unaware that they are participating in a criminal activity and may believe that they are providing a legitimate forwarding service.

The Better Business Bureau recently issued a warning after receiving complaints from victims who were hired by scammers as a packaging inspector. The state of Wisconsin has been especially hit hard, as many of the scam’s victims have been found there.

What makes the scam appear legitimate is the scammers have a phony payroll dashboard online where victims not only track their hours worked, but also provide their personal information for payment. The victims are never paid and when they inquire with their supposed employer about their payment, the scammers disappear, taking the victim’s personal information with them.

What’s most problematic about this scam is this scam could actually land a victim in jail. If a scam victim willingly falsifies shipping documentation as directed by the scammers to bypass US customs, they may be subject to imprisonment.

This scam is easy to avoid if you’re aware of one vital piece of information. Reshipping is not a real job. It’s exclusive to job scammers. These positions are often advertised online with such titles as ‘shipping coordinator’, ‘warehouse distribution coordinator’, or ‘local hub inspector’. No matter what the job is called, it’s never legitimate.