Shipping Container Fraud
How To Spot Shipping Container Fraud
Phishing is on the rise across email and social media platforms. These attacks, in which a cybercriminal sends a deceptive message that’s designed to fool a user into providing sensitive information, has reached our container industry! These phishing schemes ask prospective customers to provide payment for a container they do not own, sometimes using real business addresses when doing so. An attack can have devastating results including unauthorized purchases, the stealing of funds, or identify theft.
A major industry association recently published an article where they outline a recent con:
“A new type of container theft has started to emerge in a few major Canadian cities. These thieves present as a new business, with a “valid” credit card, valid phone number, typically a @gmail account, and they rent multiple units. The Renter signs the rental agreement, authorizes the credit card charges, and takes delivery of the containers. Unbeknownst to the Mobile Storage Company, the units are picked up shortly after and sold. The credit card continues to cover rental fees for another 2-3 months or longer before it declines. At this point, the lessee/renter, the containers, and everything else has disappeared. These thieves are very sophisticated and are committing theft and fraud at three different levels (credit card fraud, theft, sale of stolen property).”
Jake Containers has experienced an uptick in fake Facebook accounts trying to sell containers to unsuspecting customers. We actively monitor for these types of scams and report the accounts as quickly as we can. How to Spot Shipping Container Fraud:
- Be vigilant when giving personal information. Jake Containers will never ask for payment via Paypal, Vemno, Zelle, or Cash.
- If a suspicious-looking message comes in from a known source, reach out to the person or company via a separate channel and inquire as to whether they sent the message. Jake Containers does not sell containers online under any other name than Jake Containers.
- If you receive a price that seems too good to be true, it probably is! While Jake is competitively priced in the market, we provide quality products at a fair price and a buyer should always know the market pricing for what you are purchasing.
We see the frustrations of people, and Jake Containers is working with the industry and victims to raise awareness of the scammers. The Jake team is always available to verify whether a communication is authentic. Please reach out to us at (973) 957-7600 or Sales@jakecontainers.com to speak with a real person about any concerns.
Check back to our blog regularly for more updates.
