These types of websites are poping up at alarming rates. Would be scammers are not only trying to sell you goods they do not have but are also putting up other websites for express shipping and escrow service. Conusumer protection agencies in several countries are recieving numerous complaints to this effect. The scam works like this. They get you to send money to their fake escrow service. They show you documents that your shippment has been placed with the express shipping company and they give you a tracking number. At this point they tell you they have not recieved payment and demand the payment be released. Also the express shipping company states they have no such tracking number or that you must wait for 24 hours for it to appear in their system. Before you know it you are running in circles trying to figure out where your money is and where your goods are all the time the scammer has your money and no goods are on there way to you. Please be diligent and do not fall into these scams.

Best regards,
Ranger

Replying to [Ranger]: Hello Ranger, thank you for your warning message.

What an update "Sting".

If the scammer provided a tracking number related to some prestigious couriers such as DHL, UPS and FedEx, there is good chance that people will send their money.

What precautions should we take to avoid being a victim?

Thank you in advance,

Moolan

From Championapolis, IN, U.S.A.

Replying to [Ranger]:you are right...

Replying to [Moolan99]: There is no wait with DHL, UPS, FedEx companies. If you contact a customer service rep via phone they can confirm and deny any tracking number as well as tell you where its going and if it has been accepted yet. I myself have waybill numbers assigned to my accounts with all three carriers for domestic and international shipment EMS is harder as tracking number may take 24 hours to show up.

Ranger

Replying to [Ranger]: Thank you for your help.
Do you have any plan to write a book about international trade? With your experience, wisdom and in depth insight, both rookies and veterans will be beneficial from it. If you do, please let me know, I will market it in China as bilingual version. I have a high profile friend who is an English-Chinese language translator (interpreter) in Beijing and he worked for U.N. before.

Best regards,
Moolan

Replying to [Ranger]:Thank you, I recently had a sitiuation like that where the guy sent me packages to ship to another country and when i got the packages they were in other people names with my address and then i start getting billing statements of these people to my address, i shipped a few packages but was uncomfortable. I'm not sure but I think these were stolen credit cards, I did contact the bbb and they advised me to return packages to sender. He said he was with a shipping company in UK called parcel force and contracted me to ship packages from Us to Russia, customs manager. I sent off a few and then realize this is a hoax, scam...because he start flip flopping his response when it was time for me to get paid. What is your take on this. he claimed he worked for parcel force, i emailed them but havent received a response.

Replying to [Ranger]:I was in a scam just as this article states. I was smart enough to catch on to the scammers to prevent more money sent but they had already received half up front. They still operate on Alibaba and are up and running still. I would love for someone to catch them. They are out of the UK and I have names and addresses. I would like information on how I can give you my input to find them.

Replying to [Ranger]:
it is a good suggestion....

Replying to [Ranger]: Thanks for the tip Ranger! By any chance is there a list of names, these escrow companies go by?

Best Regards

Replying to [Ranger]:Can anyone tell me more about these people contacting us to be an agent on their behalf to collect moneies for them from their clients in different countries. Then they promise you 10% of whatever payment you collect. I have been getting many of these emails and I am curious to know if anyone can let me know the 411 on this.

Replying to [ehomestyle]: ehomestyle, like I said these sites go up and down on a regular basis one person was so bold recently to put up [www.escrow-alibaba.com] This of course is a FAKE escrow service. Where would you like me to start I have a list of more than 400 fake escrow companies and 2,000 fake International Express shippers. The one thing about these fake companies is that they exist under the radar. They do not want to be on the top of a search list as they can maximize their scam by dealing only with those people that are directed specifically to them by their scamming friends.

These companies have existed in every country in the world. The thing to remember is not to be pushed into using a service that a would be seller says they work with all the time. How does the online escrow service arrange payment? If it asks you to make a payment to an individual or an agent, rather than to a corporate entity, it is most likely a scam.

Also, a legitimate escrow site will not ask you to do a person-to-person money transfer using Western Union. Legitimate escrow companies ask you to wire money from your bank to their bank, and provide you with a routing number and account number for their financial institution.

I will continue to help individuals where I can and as often as I can. but everyone must remember that when entering into a business deal you must do your own checking as well. Many moderators help with this and the single biggest contributor to this cause is Wilhelm. The theme is always the same no matter what professional international trader you talk to. You must execute your Due Diligence 100% of the time to do less is follie.

Ranger