Reshipping Scams: How to Spot Fake ‘Work-From-Home’ Job Offers

Have you seen an ad for a job that lets you work from home, pays well, and comes with a title like “delivery operations specialist” or “quality control manager”? The description sounds simple: you just receive packages, inspect them, re-box them, and send them to another address.

Well, you might be stepping straight into a reshipping scam, a costly fraud targeting job seekers.

What Is a Reshipping Job Scam?

Reshipping scams trick victims into acting as “package mules” for criminals. Scammers send victims fake job offers allegedly from reputable companies, sometimes name-dropping Amazon, UPS, USPS, or FedEx to make them appear legitimate.

This scam becomes even more common during the busy shopping season, when package volume spikes and many people look for a way to earn a little extra cash. Scammers take advantage of that urgency by flooding job boards with fake “inspection” or “package handling” roles that look legitimate at first glance.

Here’s what they don’t tell you:

The goods you receive were bought using stolen credit cards or hacked bank accounts. Note that the instructions are to throw away the original box, remove receipts, and forward items.

By the time the bank reverses the fraudulent purchase, the criminals and the stolen goods are long gone. You are the only one left holding the receipt…and possibly the blame.

How Reshipping Scams Work

1. Scammers post fake part-time work-from-home jobs on social platforms, job boards, or through unsolicited emails. They use flashy titles like “operations coordinator,” “logistics supervisor,” or “product inspection agent”. They might say you get $500 per week
2.  They impersonate trusted brands. Fraudsters often claim to be affiliated with Amazon, FedEx, or other major retailers.
3. They buy expensive items using stolen credentials. Laptops, phones, drones, designer goods, whatever has high resale value.
4. They ship those items to you. You’re told to remove labels, toss the packaging, take photos, and repackage everything.
5. You mail the item to an overseas address. Once it leaves the country, tracing it becomes extremely difficult.
6. Payday never comes. After a month of “training,” the scammer ghosts you, and you never receive the paycheck they promised.

Why Are Reshipping Scams So Dangerous?

Falling for a reshipping job scam isn’t just a waste of time – it may lead to identity theft, criminal liability and financial loss. For example, during the so-called recruitment process, you’re often required to submit a copy of an ID, an SSN, and bank account details, alongside your résumé, which also contains personally identifiable information.

This act alone gives criminals enough leeway to impersonate you and open fraudulent accounts in your name.

Additionally, even if you didn’t know you were helping move stolen goods, reshipping stolen merchandise is illegal, so you could face police investigation.

Red Flags That Reveal a Reshipping Scam

If a job offer includes any of these warning signs, walk away immediately:

• The company found your résumé online and contacted you out of the blue
• You’re instructed to receive, repackage, or forward high-value items
• You can’t find a legitimate business address for the employer
• The company uses free email domains (Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook)
• Your “supervisor” is only available by chat, not video or phone
• You’re told to destroy packaging or remove serial numbers
• Promises of easy money with no experience required

Legitimate logistics companies do not hire random people to route merchandise through their homes.

How to Stay Safe

• Harden your job search: search the employer’s name, website, and email address along with terms like “scam,” “complaint,” or “review.” If others report fraud, trust them.
• Talk with someone you trust: a second opinion slows down the emotional appeal of “easy money” and helps you spot inconsistencies before you respond.
• The USPS says you should never accept packages at your address for people you don’t know. If you’ve already received items from such an offer, don’t mail them.
• Protect your identity

If you have already shared sensitive info (bank details, SSN, ID photos), take action immediately:

• Visit IdentityTheft.gov/steps for official recovery guidance
• Consider monitoring with Bitdefender Digital Identity Protection if you want alerts on personal data exposure
• Freeze your credit if necessary
• Use Scam Detection tools

Criminals use AI to refine job scams, but you can use tools like Bitdefender Scamio or Bitdefender Link Checker to analyze suspicious job emails or recruiter URLs before engaging.

• Spread the word about scams: you can help keep your community and others safe by reporting the scam and

What to Do if You’re Already Caught in a Reshipping Scam

Don’t panic. Take a deep breath and follow these steps quickly:  

1.   Stop all communication with the scammer.

2. Report the scam to the FTC, local authorities, and the platform where you found the job.
3. Keep records (emails, chat logs, shipping receipts).
4. Notify the shipping carrier that the package may involve fraud.
5. Monitor your financial accounts for unusual activity.

FAQs

Is it illegal to unknowingly reship stolen items?

Yes. Even if you didn’t know the items were stolen, you could still face legal trouble and must cooperate with authorities.

How do scammers pay victims?

They don’t. They promise monthly pay but disappear as soon as you’ve shipped enough stolen merchandise for them to profit.