BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — The Better Business Bureau is warning customers about a scam involving shipping packages.
In what's being called a "reshipping scam," a person will receive an email or a text message for a job reshipping packages. When the packages are delivered, the person is told to reship them -- sometimes to several different addresses -- with the promise of a stipend or a shipping fee.
Carl Bates, president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau in Birmingham, explains more about the scam.
"The packages come to your home or your apartment. You put a new label on them, make sure they're not damaged, supposedly," Bates said. "And then you ship them based on an email or a login that you've gotten from the 'company' that's paying you to do this reshipping for them."
According to Bates, the scam can sometimes involve additional labor, such as repackaging the item or taking parts out of the package to ship separately.
"In a lot of cases, the scammers are having you take shipped imported merchandise and ship it out," he added. "So now you're also in danger with the local law enforcement authorities for doing this kind of work."
Here are some tips to avoid falling victim to this type of scam:
- Be cautious of a job that asks you to provide sensitive personal information or money
- Be wary of jobs that are unexpectedly sent to you via text messaging or email
- Search the company and job description on Google to verify its status
If you believe you've been scammed, contact your bank to stop any incoming transactions and report it at BBB.org.