Looking to earn extra income working from home? Don't bother applying to a fake shipping 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 package items and mail them 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 an address overseas. You send off the items, but your payment never arrives. You've been conned, and you may have just helped scammers move illegally obtained goods.
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.
- 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
To find out more about reshipping and employment scams, check out BBB.org/employmentscam.
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.
