Below are a list of common shipping scams that may impact you as a service provider. Please be sure to communicate with uShip if you experience any inconsistencies or suspicious behavior.

Triangulation Scheme 

Fraudsters will purchase products and in turn, pay for transport services on stolen credit cards These products will ship to another warehouse or port location to be reshipped overseas. If you are a victim of a triangulation scheme, you may be transporting stolen goods and subsequently, have your payment revoked due to fraudulent charges. 

How to Detect

Fraudsters will often use a VoIP phone line such as GoogleVoice or MagicJack to hide their true location/identity (usually foreign). If you notice that the phone line sounds unstable or has a lot of static and noise- they may be calling from a VoIP phone line and, although these can be used for legitimate purposes, they are most commonly used in fraud schemes. 

The price the shipping customer is paying for your services seems too good to be true. Are you transporting a small delivery 300 miles away from pickup and the customer has no problem with paying out $3000? Are you arriving at the pick up point and the seller is refusing to release the shipment due to suspicion, but the customer is still willing to release full payment to you without question? Be sure to record the addresses and names of people you are interacting with. You may be questioned by authorities later and it could seem like you are an accomplice to a crime simply because you are not asking the right questions or alerting uShip of suspicious activity. 

The shipping customer is cancelling, but wants to release the payment code (uShip Payments) to you so that you don't incur a cancellation. This is a kind gesture, but alas, too good to be true. You will accept the payment code, then pay them back with your own funds in the hopes that you will not incur the cancellation. Then, that payment will be charged back, and you will lose double the amount. 

How to Avoid Becoming a Victim

Should you feel uncomfortable at any point during your experience with the customer or delivery, please contact uShip Member Support and let us know what you are experiencing in full detail. Our Trust & Safety team will review the account and listing and will provide you with a timely update so as to not stall you any longer than necessary. The reality is that you will likely come across a fraudulent transaction during your time as a transporter. However, taking the proper actions can help mitigate loss and prevent crime.