I nearly got scammed by an online logistics company that was about to drain my bank account

ruwailali123

Since this discussion is about online scams, I want to let people know about my experience and why they should ALWAYS be mindful of how they deal with people online.

I work in the logistics business and we just inaugurated our office in a different country. It was imperative for us to get a local shipping provider or some kind of logistics business on our side as our vessels were preoccupied with other duties. Naturally, that task fell on me and I did some digging online.

I came across a company (which has since deactivated their social media and has gone off the radar) and they offered me a good rate (or so I thought). I paid them an advance and they generated an invoice for the rest. I had to sign off on the rest of the payment invoice so that I become liable to pay it (which is a local law, as they claimed). It was only then that I received a message from one of our previous partners, Growmore Logistics.

Growmore Logistics said that they wanted to take a look at the agreement and appraise it as a complementary service. I figured it'd do no harm and I sent it to them. They appraised it and then showed me two things: firstly, that in between the lines, the other company had added an extra zero to increase the payable amount tenfold. And secondly, they had just copied a sample logistics payment proposal off the internet and had just modified the template.

They had asked for the payment to be made across the internet to an off shore account (which would have been difficult to trace). Also the payment method involved logging into a portal and submitting details and synching my phone to it (likely to not just steal the money but also my data). When I confronted the company about it, they went silent and never contacted me again.

I realized there and then that they are scamming people and were about to scam me. If it hadn't been for our other partner company, my bank account would have been drained. So from this escapade, I learned two major things: 1) if the online payment method is too complex, don't go for it and 2) get all documents from an online retailer verified and cross checked before making any deals.

TaxiMagicien42

Hello @ruwailali123

Thank you for sharing your experience.

Regards,

Razvan C

@ruwailali123 Scary stuff. Thanks for sharing! Fake invoice scams are one of our main concerns, and we are actively identifying and collecting scam patterns to improve detection.

Alexandru_BD

Hi @ruwailali123 and thanks for sharing your experience with us. That's really an elaborate scam.

These scammers often set up fake shipping companies, using polished websites and customer service contacts to seem credible. They lure victims by offering unusually low rates for their fraudulent logistics services. Like you've noticed, they provide fake or altered shipping documents to make their operation look legitimate. This can include fake invoices, bills of lading, or customs declarations.

Other common international shipping scams include overpayment scams, where scammers send a payment for shipping that exceeds the agreed amount and ask the victim to refund the excess. The initial payment is often fraudulent or stolen, and the victim ends up losing their money when the fake payment bounces.

The 'advance fee' fraud is also a classic scam where bad actors ask for advance payment for shipping goods, claiming it's necessary for customs, insurance, or handling fees. After receiving the payment, they either deliver nothing or deliver substandard or incorrect goods. Also, beware of fake shipping insurance scams. Scammers may offer shipping insurance for a fee, but when the goods are lost or damaged, they provide no compensation, leaving victims out of pocket.

Good tips at the end of your comment. 👍️