In the latest Darknet Summary, we look into how fraudsters attempt to add additional layers of anonymity to their activities by using simple but effective reshipping scams. Such scams have various names including parcel mule scam, work from home scams, but they are more commonly known as reshipping scams. Call them what you like, but the format is usually the same. Fraudsters will prey on job seekers by advertising fake jobs online that look too good to be true. The job always offers people the chance to work from home for only a few hours per week and earn money by performing admin tasks. This includes printing labels and reshipping packages, buying gift cards and transferring money, among other things. Victims believe they are working for a legitimate company, but are in fact working for fraudsters!
In a recent case in the United States, the FBI and US Postal Inspection Service seized 17 domain names linked to companies involved in parcel mule scams. Although a success, these domains are just a drop in the ocean, pointing to a larger problem we all need to be more aware of.
So how did law enforcement discover the latest reshipping scams? Listen to Nethone’s Intelligence Specialist Michał Barbaś as he explains the reshipping scams work.
Nethone.com is a fintech company that fights online transaction fraud using its proprietary software solution. In order to keep clients safe, we keep track of what’s happening in the darknet, the sometimes-murky underbelly of the web, where fraudsters exchange the tools and knowledge to plan their criminal activities. That’s why we’ve created this podcast, to share with you what our experts have found during their investigations! This and all our findings can be found on our fraud prevention blog and Darknet Summary fraud podcast.