Package reshipping scam

The reshipping scam recruits people for a "remote logistics," "quality-control inspector," or "repackaging coordinator" role. The job sounds easy: receive packages at your home, inspect them, repackage them, and ship them to an address abroad — typically Russia, Nigeria, or Eastern Europe — using pre-paid labels.

The packages contain high-value goods (electronics, designer items, jewelry) purchased with stolen credit cards. You are the laundering step that converts US-credit-card-fraud purchases into untraceable international shipments.

When the original cardholders dispute the charges, federal investigators trace the shipping address — which is yours. Reshippers have been criminally charged with mail fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. Many never see the promised paycheck.

"International Logistics Specialist, fully remote. $25/hour, paid weekly. Duties: receive packages, verify contents, repackage with our company materials, ship internationally. We provide all shipping labels. Equipment provided. Start immediately."

After hiring, packages start arriving — usually iPhones, MacBooks, GoPros, designer bags. You're given a Russia / Ukraine / Nigeria address and a pre-paid label and told to ship within 24 hours.

• The job is "remote logistics" or "repackaging" — a role that doesn't exist in legitimate logistics companies.
• Packages arrive in your name from major retailers (Apple, Best Buy) without you ordering them.
• The shipping destination is consistently abroad.
• Labels are pre-paid from accounts you can't verify.
• You're paid by check or Zelle, not real payroll with W-2 / 1099.
• The "company" has minimal online footprint, a brand-new domain, and no real LinkedIn presence.
• Onboarding asks for your photo ID and SSN for "background check" but you never see the actual check.
• The first paycheck is delayed, then never arrives.

1. Apply the rule: legitimate logistics companies hire warehouse staff or office staff, not people working from their living rooms reshipping unsolicited packages.
2. If packages arrive in your name that you didn't order, that's a red flag in itself — even outside this specific scam.
3. Verify the company on Glassdoor, LinkedIn, and BBB. Reshipping scams almost never have real employee reviews.
4. Ask for W-2 / W-9 documentation upfront — real employers handle this on Day 1.
5. Talk to the real retailers. Call Apple, Best Buy, etc. to ask about packages addressed to you that you didn't order. They can flag the fraud.

• Stop shipping immediately. Each additional package compounds your legal exposure.
• Talk to a criminal-defense attorney. This is not "consumer fraud you can fix yourself" territory — federal mail fraud charges are possible.
• Preserve every shipping record, every email, every label. Your defense depends on showing you didn't knowingly participate.
• Report yourself to the FBI / IC3 before they find you. Voluntary cooperation is treated very differently than discovery.
• Refuse to accept future packages. Tell the carriers to refuse delivery.
• Notify your bank — your account may have been used as a payee.
• Watch for identity-theft consequences — your SSN / ID were given to a criminal organization.

• Do not ship "just one more package" because you've already done some.
• Do not keep any goods you received — they're stolen property.
• Do not delete the emails and records — they're your defense.
• Do not ignore the situation hoping it goes away. Federal cases on reshippers can take years to surface.

• FTC: reportfraud.ftc.gov — the broadest US fraud intake; reports flow to thousands of law-enforcement agencies.
• FBI IC3: ic3.gov — the right destination when the scam is internet-enabled (phishing, BEC, romance, crypto).
• CFPB: consumerfinance.gov/complaint — for complaints about banks, money transmitters, payment apps, credit cards, debt collection.
• IdentityTheft.gov — if any identity information (SSN, driver's license, account credentials) was shared.
• Your bank or payment platform. Call the number on the back of your card or use the app's in-product help. Time matters — wires can sometimes be recalled within hours; ACH and Zelle are harder but worth trying.