This is a hot one guys!
What exactly is it? Well, I'll tell you what it isn't. It isn't a glorified position working at home for any of the major shipping companies like FedEx or UPS shipping packages for them. Trust me, they have enough company employed people to do a job such as this. You've seen them, they wear the uniforms and drive the big ugly brown trucks or the white ones with FED EX stamped on the side. But, these scammers running these types of scams want you to think that this is what you will be doing...in a roundabout sort of way.
Here is the breakdown for you:
These scammers usually hunt you down on Craigslist, Careerbuilder, Monster and other career sites so that they can gain access to your e mail addresses. They then e mail you a "job offer" that sounds pretty nice. They entice you with a work from home job where all you have to do is receive packages for their customers and re-route them to their customers. Sounds simple right? Well, they even go further to send you to a phony website to sign up and complete an application. They then will have you sign a contract or even fill out direct deposit forms in their attempts to seem like a legitimate company. BUT THEY ARE NOT! Remember that while you are thinking this job offer is for real, you are sending them your real ID card, your real home address, your real resume, etc.
So, once they have you as their "employee," they begin to send packages to your home for you to send to their "customers" using pre-paid shipping labels they will send you. These labels are usually showing shipment out of the country to places like Russia. This process will go on for at least a month as they claim to pay you monthly, one lump sum, but a per package shipped bonus. This usually adds up to roughly $2500 to $4000, which really sounds good to someone who has been out of work right? WRONG!
What usually happens is that you wait and wait. You contact them and they don't respond. Then one morning, while you are fast asleep, you hear loud knocking at your door and it's your local PD or worse, the F.B.I. (And trust me, when those letters get behind you, it is NOT a good thing!). Once this happens, you had better have a good lawyer or enough evidence to prove you were the victim of a scam. Otherwise, you'll be charged with being an accessory or receiving stolen property.
How could this be though, right? This was a legitimate job!!! No, actually it wasn't. These guys lured you in and they used stolen credit cards to purchase EVERYTHING that was shipped to your home that you subsequently shipped to them unknowingly!
What has happened is that these guys have identity theft to a new low. They steal credit card information from individuals and then they purchase goods from companies using those cards. Now, they have created two victims. Once you come into play, they have created a third victim, but you are their fall guy. They are overseas and you are in the same place that all the theft occurred in, so you shelter all of the blame. And by the time you are in custody, they are long gone with literally thousands of dollars worth of stolen goods.
So, how to handle this must be on your mind. Well, here are the steps you should always remember:
1. Don't accept packages from people you do not know. NEVER!!!
2. Cease and desist all communication with the scammer if it sounds like this.
3. If you have received packages already, DO NOT MAIL THEM. Return them to the sender!
4. Keep all of the correspondence between you and the scammer in the event you get that 5 am door knock.
5. Call the Postal Inspectors at 1.877.876.2455 or click here to file a complaint online.
6. File a complain with ic3.gov
7. If you have already fallen victim, be proactive and report everything using the above steps. Also, don't hesitate to leave a comment with the scammers information below so that you may help someone else to avoid it.
It's hard to turn away what sounds like a dream job when you are desperate to get back to work, but just be careful. These things happen and they can be very serious. So, just remember the steps above and stay far away from scams such as this!
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