Reshipping Package Mule Scams
Americans lost $12.5 billion to fraud in 2024, according to the FTC.
Quick Answer
Reshipping scams lure victims with fake work-from-home jobs, tricking them into receiving and forwarding illegally obtained goods, with business and job opportunity scams causing $750.6 million in losses in 2024.
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How It Works
1
Scammers post fake work-from-home job listings online for positions like "Shipping Coordinator," "Package Handler," or "Quality Control Manager," often promising high pay for simple tasks with no experience required.
2
The fraudulent employer "hires" the victim and asks for personal information like their Social Security number and bank account details for payroll, which can be used for identity theft.
3
Criminals use stolen credit cards to purchase high-value merchandise (like electronics) and have it shipped to the victim's home address.
4
The victim is instructed to receive the packages, remove original labels and receipts, repackage the items, and ship them to another address, which is often overseas and untraceable.
5
The victim is never paid for their "work," and the scammer disappears, leaving the victim as an unwitting accomplice in a crime, potentially facing investigation by law enforcement.
Red Flags
- A job offer that seems too good to be true, with high pay for easy work requiring no experience.
- The employer communicates through free email services (like Gmail or Outlook) instead of a corporate domain.
- The job description is vague and primarily involves receiving packages at your home and mailing them to another address.
- The company has little to no verifiable online presence, or its website is unprofessional and lacks a physical address.
- You are asked to provide personal information, like your Social Security Number or bank details, before any formal and verifiable hiring process.
- The "employer" asks you to pay for shipping supplies or postage with a promise of reimbursement.
- The packages you receive are addressed to you, but the contents are items you never ordered.
What to Do If Targeted
- Immediately stop all communication with the fraudulent employer.
- Do not ship any packages you have received. Contact the shipping carrier (UPS, FedEx, USPS) and the original retailer to report the fraudulent shipment.
- Report the scam to law enforcement and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455.
- File a report with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at ic3.gov and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
- Place a fraud alert on your credit reports with Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion and monitor your financial accounts for unusual activity.
- If you shared personal information, visit identitytheft.gov for a recovery plan.
How to Report It
- FTC — File a fraud report with the Federal Trade Commission to help with investigations and consumer protection.
- FBI IC3 — Report the internet crime to the FBI to help them track and prosecute cybercriminals.
- U.S. Postal Inspection Service — Report any scam involving the U.S. Mail to Postal Inspectors.
- FCC — File a complaint about phone scams, robocalls, or unwanted calls with the Federal Communications Commission.
- AARP Fraud Helpline — Call 877-908-3360 for free support from trained fraud specialists. Available to anyone, not just AARP members.
Key Statistics
- Losses reported for business and job opportunity scams totaled $750.6 million in 2024. — FTC 2025
- In the first three months of 2023, the Better Business Bureau received reports of nearly $840,000 in losses from employment scams, a 250% increase over the previous year. — Better Business Bureau 2023
- A 2020 study found that 65% of fraudulent online job postings involved reshipping schemes disguised as warehouse or logistics roles. — Better Business Bureau 2020
- The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received 859,532 complaints in 2024, with total reported losses exceeding $16.6 billion across all scam types. — FBI IC3 2025
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Frequently Asked Questions
A reshipping package scam is a fraudulent work-from-home job where individuals are hired to receive packages containing goods purchased with stolen credit cards. The victims, or "mules," are then instructed to repackage and ship the items to another location, often overseas, making them unwitting participants in a criminal scheme. Victims are typically never paid and may face legal consequences.
Yes, even if you are an unwitting victim, participating in a reshipping scam means you are handling and shipping stolen goods, which is a crime. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service warns this can trick job seekers into committing felonies. Law enforcement may trace the stolen merchandise back to your address, potentially involving you in a criminal investigation.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reported that losses from business and job opportunity scams reached $750.6 million in 2024. In the first three months of 2023 alone, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) received reports of nearly $840,000 in losses from employment scams, with a median loss of over $1,500 per victim.
No, there are no legitimate work-from-home opportunities that involve receiving packages at your home and shipping them to another address on behalf of a company. Legitimate logistics and shipping companies have their own established facilities and do not use private residences as shipping hubs. Any job offer with this requirement is a major red flag for a scam.
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