Fake Shipper Scam
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Fake Shipper Scam
Fake shipping company websites work in conjunction with the fake websites claiming to sell internationally wholesale commodities such as beer, soft drinks and energy drinks, a4 paper, powdered milk and baby formula, even illegal drugs and prescription medicines, etc. which of course, do not exist. The fake shipping sites that “ship” these non-existent goods to you, are also scams from West African scammers mainly from Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana etc., but also living in various other countries. Most having entered those countries using student or working visas. Since these scammers work in cooperation with Non-Delivery Scam websites, you have to read Avoiding Non-Delivery Scams to fully understand the scam.
Scammers will register their fake companies in whatever country they are supposedly located. They also list their fake companies in various free business directories. Some will even have a social media presence, however all their posts will usually be very recent. Obviously, just because a company is registered does not mean that it is legitimate or it will not scam you. Government business registrars are not law enforcement and do not police companies. The fact that a company appears on social media or in many business directories, free or otherwise, is no assurance that it is legitimate. The easiest way to find out if a website is legitimate is to look at the date it was created. If a website was recently created, it is most likely a scam. Read Identifying Scam Websites to learn how to tell when a website is fake.
Most fake shipper websites request a “downpayment” for the shipment of your goods, usually via Western Union/MoneyGram, Bitcoin, Rhea Money transfer, Gift Cards, T/T bank to bank transfer. Read Never Wire Money to Strangers! All of these methods of of payment are irreversible and effectively untraceable even after the victim realizes he has been scammed. The scammers use fake ids to pick up the money or will use money mulls to who open up bank accounts and then quickly transfer any money transferred into them and send them to the scammers. If you end up sending them money, they will pretend to ship your goods, sending you official looking manifests, bills of lading, invoices, etc. However the goods don’t exist and never existed. TheY will claim that the goods are stuck in some port and require additional, unanticipated custom duties or fees. Of course, if you pay these, another “snafu” will develop and this will continue until your funds are exhausted or you realize you are being scammed. Any request for additional funds is a clear indication that you are dealing with a scammer and you should immediately stop paying as they are just trying steal even more of your money.
Fake Shipper Scam figure prominently in Romance Scams. Romance scammers will frequently claim to send you gifts or valuables for safe keeping using fake shipper websites. These items do not exist. They will request that you pay for the shipping of these non-exiastent goods. If you pay a shipping fee, there will be another, and it will continue until you realize you are being scammed.
Scammers will register their fake companies in whatever country they are supposedly located. They also list their fake companies in various free business directories. Some will even have a social media presence, however all their posts will usually be very recent. Obviously, just because a company is registered does not mean that it is legitimate or it will not scam you. Government business registrars are not law enforcement and do not police companies. The fact that a company appears on social media or in many business directories, free or otherwise, is no assurance that it is legitimate. The easiest way to find out if a website is legitimate is to look at the date it was created. If a website was recently created, it is most likely a scam. Read Identifying Scam Websites to learn how to tell when a website is fake.
Most fake shipper websites request a “downpayment” for the shipment of your goods, usually via Western Union/MoneyGram, Bitcoin, Rhea Money transfer, Gift Cards, T/T bank to bank transfer. Read Never Wire Money to Strangers! All of these methods of of payment are irreversible and effectively untraceable even after the victim realizes he has been scammed. The scammers use fake ids to pick up the money or will use money mulls to who open up bank accounts and then quickly transfer any money transferred into them and send them to the scammers. If you end up sending them money, they will pretend to ship your goods, sending you official looking manifests, bills of lading, invoices, etc. However the goods don’t exist and never existed. TheY will claim that the goods are stuck in some port and require additional, unanticipated custom duties or fees. Of course, if you pay these, another “snafu” will develop and this will continue until your funds are exhausted or you realize you are being scammed. Any request for additional funds is a clear indication that you are dealing with a scammer and you should immediately stop paying as they are just trying steal even more of your money.
Fake Shipper Scam figure prominently in Romance Scams. Romance scammers will frequently claim to send you gifts or valuables for safe keeping using fake shipper websites. These items do not exist. They will request that you pay for the shipping of these non-exiastent goods. If you pay a shipping fee, there will be another, and it will continue until you realize you are being scammed.