Reshipping 'Job'? It's a Scam
A work-from-home ad promises easy pay: receive packages, relabel them, ship them on. It sounds like logistics — it is actually fencing stolen goods. The packages were bought with stolen cards, and you are the layer between the thief and the goods. This 'job' can make you criminally liable.
TL;DR / Quick Fix
Quick fix: quit immediately. Receiving and forwarding packages for strangers is handling stolen goods, even if you did not know. Do not open or keep the packages; contact law enforcement or the carrier about them. Never give these 'employers' your ID or bank details, and warn others off the listing.
Follow these steps
- Understand what the job really is. Goods bought with stolen payment cards ship to you; you forward them onward. You are the cutout — the thief's buffer against detection. See money mule schemes for the financial twin of this scam.
- Know the legal risk. 'I did not know' is a weak shield. Handling and shipping stolen goods can bring criminal charges even for unwitting participants — which is why quitting fast matters.
- Stop immediately. Do not finish 'this week's batch.' Every package forwarded deepens the involvement. Stop now, mid-stream, no notice given.
- Do not open, keep, or sell the packages. They are evidence of someone else's crime. Keep them sealed and untouched until authorities or the carrier advise.
- Report it. Contact local law enforcement and the carrier with the employer's details, tracking numbers, and messages. Your report helps unwind the operation — and documents your exit.
- Protect your identity. These 'employers' often harvest IDs and bank details 'for payroll.' If you shared any, treat it as compromised: see post-breach steps.
What NOT to do
- Do not believe the 'logistics coordinator' title. A real title on a fake job is still a fake job.
- Do not accept packages after quitting. Refuse deliveries from the operation — each one restarts the risk.
- Do not give them ID or banking 'for direct deposit.' That data becomes the next fraud's raw material.
- Do not confuse this with legitimate warehouse work. Real logistics jobs have real companies, real premises, and interviews — not messaging-app recruiters.
Frequently asked questions
I didn't know it was illegal — am I in trouble?
Possibly, which is why immediate quitting and reporting matter. Law enforcement distinguishes cooperating ex-participants from active ones — be the former, fast.
Can I keep a package as 'my pay'?
No — it is stolen property. Keeping it converts unwitting involvement into a separate offense.
How do I spot these job ads?
Vague 'logistics' or 'shipping assistant' roles, no interview, contact via messaging apps, pay per package, and an employer you cannot verify as a real company.