Criminals use a variety of come-ons to trick people into reshipping fraud. See if you recognize one of these scenarios:

Work-at-Home Scams

Criminals post phony job announcements on Internet career sites offering positions such as “merchandising manager,” “ package processing assistant,” or a similar title. Job duties include receiving packages and mailing them to a foreign address on behalf of a client. They may even send you postage-paid mailing labels.

Here’s a sample reshipping job offer:

Packaging processing manager needed (Job #1852)
MAIL PACKAGES from home without leaving your current job. Easy! Ship parcels from our clients. Get paid $24 per parcel. Info at our corporate website:
www.internationalcargo-logisticsmanagement.buz/vacancies/

The real story? A criminal has purchased merchandise with stolen credit cards and needs your help to smuggle the goods out of the country. The company is fake—even the mailing labels are phony. And you are committing a felony when you help out these criminals.

Sweetheart Scams

Fraudulent reshippers also lurk on dating websites. They send a few e-mails to get to know you, and may even send a photo or flowers. Once they have your attention, they ask you to help their business or family by shipping packages to Europe or Africa. They may even claim to be working with a charity or mission, and request help in getting “donated” merchandise delivered to Africa or another part of the world.

The real story? You’re being asked to commit a crime by smuggling stolen goods. The photo may look like your perfect match, but it’s a fake—and could be the picture of your worst nightmare.

Postage-Paid Label Scams

Scammers sometimes buy merchandise on Internet auction or classified advertisement sites (and they often use counterfeit checks or stolen credit accounts to pay). When they contact the seller, they ask if they can provide a postage-paid shipping label instead of paying for postage. Then they e-mail a label that looks legitimate.

The real story? The label is fake or it was bought using a stolen credit card. When Postal Inspectors or other law enforcement officers follow the clues to the return address, it often leads to an unsuspecting victim of a postage-paid label scam. Too often, the victim tells how the payment for the merchandise bounced, too.

What should you do if you’ve been tricked into reshipping fraud?

• Don’t accept packages at your address for people you don’t know.
• Be wary of anyone asking to send you a mailig label purchased online.
• Stop all communication with operators who try to solicit your help in reshipping items.
• If you already have merchandise from such an offer, don’t mail it.
• Keep all correspondence (e-mails, faxes, etc.) related to these scams.
• Contact Postal Inspectors at 1-877-876-2455.

Click here for a printable version of our reshipping warning for consumers. text-only

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