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  • Geebo 9:00 am on January 16, 2024 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , reshipping, ,   

    Reshipping scam lands victim in jail 

    By Greg Collier

    For some time, we’ve been warning our readers about the reshipping or repackaging scam, and how victims of the scam can run afoul of the law. But first, let’s explain how the scam works.

    The reshipping scam is a type of fraud where scammers recruit individuals, often unwittingly, to receive and reship packages to a different location. The scammers use various tactics to convince people to participate in this scheme, such as fake job offers or work-from-home opportunities.

    Scammers may post job ads or send emails offering individuals the chance to work from home. These offers often promise high salaries and flexible working hours. The job description often details how reshippers receive goods at their home address and act as a quality control agent.

    The scammers provide instructions on how to repackage and forward the received items to another address, often located in a different country. They may claim that it’s part of a global shipping or distribution network, or that they represent a major retailer.

    Unbeknownst to the reshipper, the items they receive and forward are often purchased using stolen credit card information or other fraudulent means. This helps the scammers cover their tracks.

    Victims of the reshipping scam never receive any kind of reimbursement from their supposed employers.

    The real danger of the reshipping scam is that even if the reshipper is unaware of being part of a scam, they can still be arrested for their involvement. One of the ways victims can find themselves in hot water is if they willingly falsify shipping documentation as directed by the scammers to bypass US customs.

    A woman from Toledo, Ohio, was recently arrested for her alleged involvement in a reshipping scam, and she was unaware it was a scam at all. As expected, she applied to a work from home job listing. She was ‘hired’ immediately in an over the phone interview.

    After a month of reshipping, Toledo police officers showed up at her door. It’s unclear what laws she is said to have specifically broken, but she was never paid by her supposed employer. She could have her name cleared and charges dropped later in the investigation, but she did have to post bail. Now, the victim is out of money when she was just trying to provide for her family.

    It’s important for individuals to be cautious about unsolicited job offers, especially those that involve receiving and reshipping packages. Legitimate employers typically do not require employees to use their personal addresses for receiving and forwarding goods. If someone suspects they are involved in a reshipping scam, it’s crucial to cease any involvement immediately and report the incident to authorities.

     

  • Geebo 9:00 am on November 16, 2023 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , reshipping,   

    Cable discount becomes reshipping scam 

    By Greg Collier

    Typically, in a reshipping scam, scammers recruit victims through phony job ads offering positions like package handler or product inspector. These are almost always advertised as work from home positions. The victim has products sent to them by the scammers that they’re supposed to inspect for defects before sending the products to a new address. What’s really going on is that the scammers bought these products with stolen credit card information, and the reshippers are just being used as scapegoats in a money laundering operation. Once the reshipper sends the products off, the scammers sell the stolen goods. Now, there is a scam that not only uses a victim as a reshipper, but makes the victim pay for the stolen items as well.

    A major cable and internet provider has warned consumers about this new scam. According to Spectrum, scammers are calling customers and offering service for half-price if the customer makes a one-time payment of $99. The customer is then asked for personal information like their account number and Social Security number, along with their payment information. Many cable and internet providers are also phone providers. So, the scammers use the customer’s information to order mobile devices that are sent to the customer’s address. But the scammers instruct the customer to send the devices to another address. The scammers will even send a shipping label to the customer and have them drop the devices off at the post office or a shipping company like UPS.

    Spectrum says they’ll never call a customer and ask for their account number and PIN, and this can be applied to most if not all cable and internet providers. They also add that if you receive one of these offers through email or text message, you should delete the message. If you reply to one of the scam messages, it will let the scammers know they’ve reached a working phone number or email address. Lastly, the major providers will never ask for payment through cryptocurrency, gift cards or personal payment apps.

     

  • Geebo 8:00 am on May 4, 2023 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , reshipping, ,   

    Reshipping scam resurfaces 

    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.

     

  • Geebo 8:00 am on October 26, 2022 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , , , reshipping,   

    Anatomy of a job scam 

    By Greg Collier

    When we discuss the reshipping or repackaging scam, we often have to give generic descriptions of it. For example, the reshipping is a job scam that sounds like a real work from home job, but doesn’t actually exist in the workforce. Scammers will often post a work at home position online, that’s supposed to pay really well. The job entails receiving goods at the employee’s home, who inspects the good for damages. The employee is then supposed to ship the goods to a third party.

    As previously stated, this is not a real job. This is a way for scammers to send goods bought with stolen credit cards to a location that can’t be easily traced. More often than not, the employee/victim of the scam is often caught off guard when police show up at their home.

    However, thanks to the Better Business Bureau of Connecticut, we have the specifics of how one scam ring allegedly operated. A company that went by multiple names kept claiming they were based in Connecticut, while offering positions of a ‘shipping and packaging specialist’ or a ‘picker packer specialist’. This company offered $2400 a month for these phony positions. Employees were even required to log in to a company dashboard to report their hours. Victims didn’t even know they were being scammed until it came time to get paid, and the companies would just disappear.

    This scam can hurt its victims in a number of ways. The first way is that the victims are making plans for the money they think they’re going to be paid, such as paying their bills or rent. When that money doesn’t come, victims could now even be more in debt. Secondly, the scammers probably had their victims fill out legitimate looking applications and tax forms. Scammers could now easily steal the identity of their victims. Lastly, and most importantly, this scam could actually land a victim in jail. If a victim of the scam knowingly falsifies shipping documents under the instruction of the scammers to get around US customs, they could face jail time.

    If you think you may be a victim in a reshipping scam, there are steps you can take. If you’ve already received items, don’t mail them. Instead, contact the USPS Postal Inspectors at 1-877-876-2455.

     

  • Geebo 8:00 am on October 14, 2022 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , , , reshipping, , ,   

    Work from home job is just an identity theft scam 

    By Greg Collier

    More and more employers are offering work from home positions to new recruits. However, scammers have been offering work from home positions longer than employers and know how to convince their victims the job is for real. Work from home scams go back to the days when envelope stuffing positions were offered in the back of magazines. So, it should really come as no surprise when scammers and con artists continue to find victims for their schemes.

    The work from home scam we’re about to discuss may be familiar to our readers, and it’s the reshipping or repackaging scam. In this scam, the scammers typically approach someone who is looking for a job. If they’re looking for a work from home job, it’s even better for the scammers. The scammers will claim that they found the victim’s resume online and that the victim would be perfect for the position.

    That position is one where the victim is expected to receive packages at their home, inspect them for damages, then ship them to a third party. The packages the victims receive are usually items that were paid for with stolen credit cards. Then the victim unknowingly is shipping them to another scammer who will sell the items for a profit.

    However, there is a secondary outcome to the reshipping scam. The scammers have the victims fill out official-looking paperwork as if the victim is really applying for a job. This includes not only the victim’s Social Security number but can include their banking information as well under the guise of having direct deposit set up.

    A victim from Oklahoma worked one of these scam positions for a month. When she asked the phony employer about payment, the scammers cut off all communication with her. Here, this person thought they would be paid, but instead are now behind on their bills thanks to the scammers.

    The best way to protect yourself from this scam is to know that the reshipping position is not a real job offered by real companies. This kind of job offer only comes from scammers. Be wary of any employment offer that seems to be going too fast from the time of contact to the time of hire. Also, be wary of any position where the employer only communicates with you through some kind of messaging app. These are used instead of more traditional communications, so the scammers can remain virtually anonymous.

     

  • Geebo 8:09 am on July 15, 2022 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , , reshipping,   

    Job scam victim almost ends up in jail 

    Job scam victim almost ends up in jail

    By Greg Collier

    We always warn our readers that there is one scam that could land a victim in jail if they’re not careful. That scam is the reshipping or repackaging scam. In the reshipping scam, scammers will advertise this as a work from home position where the victim’s job is to inspect packages they receive. Typically, the items sent to victims are either stolen or have been purchased using stolen credit card information. The scammers pose as a shipping company or known retailer. The victim is then instructed to send the contents of the packages to a third party. The third party is usually someone overseas. These positions are often advertised online with such titles as ‘shipping coordinator’, ‘warehouse distribution coordinator, or ‘local hub inspector’.

    A man from Florida recently found out how perilous being a victim of this job scam can be. He thought he was working in a quality control position while sending out the packages he received with new shipping labels. Unbeknownst to him, an iPad the man had shipped off had been reported stolen. Investigators were able to track it to a UPS drop-off box. By reviewing security camera footage, police approached the man at the same drop-off box and placed him in handcuffs. After the man explained the situation to police, he was informed of the scam by a police investigator familiar with such scams.

    Receiving stolen goods under false pretenses won’t necessarily land a victim in jail. However, there is a step that some victims have taken that have landed them in legal trouble. If a victim knowingly falsifies shipping documents under the instruction of the scammers to get around US customs, they could face jail time. This is regardless of whether the victim knows it’s a scam or not.

    The best way a jobseeker can protect themselves from a shipping scams is to not accept the position in the first place. No legitimate company sends products to an employee’s home for reshipping. Scammers are only too happy to have a stolen item traced back to the victim’s home address rather than wherever the scammer is located. By accepting this phony job position, victims are acting as an unwitting middleman in a stolen goods ring.

    If you think you may be a victim in a reshipping scam, there are steps you can take. If you’ve already received items, don’t mail them. Instead, contact the USPS Postal Inspectors at 1-877-876-2455.

     

  • Geebo 8:00 am on April 29, 2022 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , , reshipping,   

    Dangerous job scam back in the news 

    Dangerous job scam back in the news

    By Greg Collier

    There are several different job scams that someone could find online. In most instances, these scams will either steal your personal information, steal your money, or both. However, there is one job scam that potentially puts its victims in real danger.

    We’re referring to the reshipping or repackaging scam. In the reshipping scam, the victim is asked to inspect goods that are sent to their home before putting the goods in new packaging and sending them to a third party, usually overseas. The goods themselves are typically purchased with stolen credit card information. The scam is typically part of a larger money laundering operation.

    This scam is so lucrative that the scammers will even use paid employment platforms like Indeed. These same scammers will often claim they represent major retailers like Amazon and Walmart, or that they’re contracted with them.

    Recently, in South Carolina, authorities there have received numerous complaints about a supposed shipping company that was supposedly employing reshippers all over the country. In this instance, the reshippers were never paid after sending out packages. When the victims would try to contact the shipping company about payment, the shipping company would block all communications. The company claimed that their main office was in South Carolina, but no actual company existed at the address listed.

    The real problem with the reshipping scam is that even victims could find themselves in legal trouble. If the victim knowingly falsifies shipping documents under the instruction of the scammers to get around US customs, that is considered mail fraud and could get the victim serious jail time.

    Please keep in mind that there are no legitimate jobs that involve receiving packages and shipping them to someone else from your home. If you see an ad listing for such a job, it’s a scam.

     

  • Geebo 8:00 am on March 22, 2022 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , package mule scam, , reshipping, ,   

    FBI warns of scam that could land victims in jail 

    FBI warns of scam that could land victims in jail

    By Greg Collier

    Both the FBI and the Better Business Bureau have issued a warning about a work from home scam that could have devastating consequences for its victims. They’re referring to the scam that’s called the repackaging or reshipping scam. It also goes by the name of the package mule scam.

    Scammers will advertise a work from home position as a package inspector. Applicants will be asked to receive deliveries at their place of residence. These inspectors will be asked to make sure the item they received isn’t damaged before sending the item to a third-party. Typically, the items are purchased using stolen credit card information. By the time anyone realizes the purchase has been made, the item has been shipped overseas by the unwitting package inspector. Calling this a scam almost downplays the seriousness of the matter. The reshipping scam is actually part of a larger money laundering operation.

    The reshipping scam can have several harmful outcomes for the package inspector. For example, the supposed company could pay the inspectors with a fraudulent check. The inspectors could also be asked to use that check to pay for business equipment needed for the job with the money from the fraudulent check. This would leave the inspector with a large debt to their bank they might not be able to pay. However, the most serious outcome is the one where the victim is arrested without knowing they were being scammed. If an inspector knowingly falsifies shipping documents under the instruction of the scammers to get around US customs, they could face jail time.

    The best way to protect yourself from a scam like this is with the knowledge that work from home package inspector is not a real job. Often, these scammers will pose as large companies like Amazon, Walmart, and Target. They’ll give the phony positions names like ‘shipping coordinator’, ‘warehouse distribution coordinator’, or ‘local hub inspector’. The FBI says corporations like this should be able to do any kind of item inspection on their own.

    If you think you may be a victim in a reshipping scam, there are steps you can take. If you’ve already received items, don’t mail them. Instead, contact the USPS Postal Inspectors at 1-877-876-2455.

     

  • Geebo 9:00 am on January 7, 2022 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , , reshipping, , ,   

    Major surge seen in this job scam 

    Major surge seen in this job scam

    By Greg Collier

    Between the unpredictability of the pandemic and the ‘Great Resignation’ movement, more people are seeking work from home opportunities. But even before the pandemic, work from home positions were not only few and far between, but many of them were straight up scams. Even going back decades, there were positions advertised for envelope stuffers where the applicants had to pay an upfront fee to start working. Then they would barely get paid, if they were even paid at all. Work from home scams have barely changed since then, except that the scammers now have a larger reach through the internet and social media.

    The Better Business Bureau has stated that the reshipping or repackaging scam represents 65% of all work from home scams. In the reshipping scam, you’re asked to inspect goods that are sent to your home before putting the goods in new packaging and sending them to a third party, usually overseas. The goods themselves are typically purchased with stolen credit card information. The whole scam is frequently part of a money laundering operation. Even victims of the scam can find themselves in legal trouble if they did anything to try to skirt US Custom laws, even if they were instructed by the scammers to do so.

    This scam is so lucrative that the scammers will even use paid employment platforms like Indeed. These same scammers will often claim they represent major retailers like Amazon and Walmart, or they’re contracted with them. Anytime that you see a position on a platform like Indeed that seems too good to be true, check the employer’s website to see if that’s a legitimate employment opportunity.

    While a work from home position is one that many consider ideal, they are also rife with scams that you should be aware of.

     

  • Geebo 9:00 am on December 7, 2021 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , , , , , reshipping, ,   

    Can you be tricked into being a money mule? 

    By Greg Collier

    The Federal Government has recently issued multiple warnings about the dangers of becoming a money mule. The phrase is reminiscent of someone who is a drug mule. However, it’s much easier to be a money mule since money mules don’t have to leave the country or there on home for that matter since money can be moved around in several virtual ways. The main problem with money mules is that many of them don’t even know they’re being used to move dirty money around the globe.

    Both the FBI and the Federal Trade Commission have issued warnings about unwittingly becoming a money mule. Most of the ways people become unwitting money mules is through many of the scams that we should already be familiar with. The major ones are the fake check scam and the romance scam. The fake check scam is when the scammer sends you a fake check for any number of reasons. They then ask you to deposit the check into your bank account, keep a little bit of the money for yourself before sending the remainder to a third party. By the time the victim’s bank finds out the check is fake, the scammers have made off with the money, while the victim is responsible for the amount of the check to their bank.

    Meanwhile, the FBI is warning citizens about romance scams and how even victims of a romance scam can find themselves on the wrong side of the law. They’ve released a video about an 81-year-old woman who fell for a romance scam and allegedly helped her ‘boyfriend’ defraud other people.

    The reshipping scam is another avenue where scammers use unwitting participants as money mules. This is when people think they have a legitimate job as a package inspector. The victims receive packages, inspect them, then send them to a third part. The items they inspect are usually bought with stolen credit card information. By the time the credit card company catches on, the merchandise is in another country. If a reshipper does anything to skirt US Custom laws, even if instructed by the scammer, they could face arrest.

    This also includes any scam that involves gift cards or money transfers.

     

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