Pretends to offer a job
Reshipping job and money mule scam
Is a job that has me forward packages or move money a scam?
Yes. These jobs use stolen goods or money and you may face trouble. Do not accept, and never share bank details.
Real organizations never do this. Stop. Hang up or delete it.
Also searched as: job scam, work from home job, reshipping job, package forwarding job, mystery shopper, money mule, check cashing job
Draft: we're still checking this page. The quotes below are word for word from their sources.
What to do
On the phone right now?
- Stop. Hang up or close the message. Don't tap anything.
- Check. Call a number you already have, like the one on your card or bill.
- Talk to someone you trust before you pay anyone.
If anyone is in danger right now, call 911.
If you already paid
- Call the company you paid through right away: your bank, card company, gift card company, or the wire or Zelle service. Ask them to stop or reverse the payment.
- Call the Justice Department's National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-372-8311, Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern.
- Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If it happened online, report it at IC3.gov too.
General information, not legal or financial advice. If you've lost money, contact your bank and report it.
How it works
1 They reach you by
- Website
- Social media
2 They pretend to be
- An employer
- A new love or friend
- Prize company
3 They ask for
- Personal details
- Something else
- Wire or Zelle
- Gift cards
What it can look like
Example pattern, not a real message
Pretends to offer a job. What gives it away:
- Pay with gift cards
- Send a wire or Zelle
- Give your ID numbers
Warning signs
- They tell you to buy gift cards and read them the numbers. No real agency or company asks to be paid that way.
- They push you to send a wire transfer or Zelle payment. That money is very hard to get back.
- They contacted you, then ask for your Social Security, Medicare or bank numbers.
Why we say this
Money Mule
Scammers use fake jobs, romance, lottery and 'cut for you' offers to get people to move money or packages for them. Some people do not know they are helping criminals. They can still face serious trouble.
Money mules are people who receive and transfer money obtained from victims of fraud.
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Transferring money/valuables on behalf of others only benefits criminals and may lead to serious consequences for the “mule.”
This includes transferring money into and out of accounts you own or purchasing Postal Money Orders, gift cards, or virtual currency at the direction of others.
And, never accept or send packages on behalf of others.
Check any work-from-home opportunity or money transferring offer with a trusted family member or friend.
Can you unbox the signs of a reshipping scam?
Scammers offer a work-from-home job with a fancy title. The job is to get packages at your home, repack them, and send them to another address. The goods are bought with stolen cards. You never get paid, and you may lose your personal information.
A work-from-home job promising easy money and a fancy title like “delivery operations specialist” or “quality control manager” might sound great.
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When scammers send fake job offers, they sometimes lie about being affiliated with familiar companies like Amazon or FedEx.
Your “job” is to throw out the original box and receipt and send those stolen goods on to another address, often an international one, where it can’t be tracked.
Look up the name of the company or the person who’s hiring you, plus the words “scam,” “review,” or “complaint.”
Reshipping goods is never a real job.