How not to be tricked during cargo transportation?

There are more and more fake moving companies every year. The phenomenon is associated with a high demand for the service, the desire of customers to save money, not to insure the cargo. The result is fictitious transactions that exist only on paper and theft of the belongings. The legislation tries to secure transportation, calls for documenting the fact of moving. But not everyone is able to recognize in advance that they are facing a criminal.

Signs of fake movers

In the moving process, fraud is not the theft of a single object or a small batch on the way. The criminals are developing schemes that allow them to take possession of millions of dollars, valuable goods that are easy to sell abroad. It is very difficult to recognize an experienced fraudster, so it is worth checking:

• Documents and a license – if there are no such documents and there is no landline phone, you should not trust this mover.
• Cargo delivery contract – scammers, while transporting cargo, do not conclude an official contract, motivating this in different ways.
• Registration documents – must provide copies of the service to the customer for review.
• The service provider avoids personal meetings with the sender, does not invite for consultation to the office – they use rented apartments for several days.
• Another signal that a flyttebyrå Oslo tries to trick you is a request to transfer an advance payment or the entire amount for a service to a personal card. The scheme is explained by the desire to reduce the tax burden.
• One-day firms are a popular scheme to deceive cargo holders. They are difficult to recognize because there are registration documents, a rented office. Main features: few employees, no accounting, no dispatcher, it is impossible to find out the location of the cargo. The vehicle fleet is located, according to the owner, in another city or far from the office.

How to protect yourself from swindlers in cargo transportation

It is impossible to protect yourself from all risks, but if you develop comprehensive measures, do not use unreasonably cheap services. You need to:

• Check a counterparty – requesting official papers, analyzing reputation in the market, concluding an agreement even for small loads over a short distance.
• Keep your communications safe – change your email password more often, check phones for spyware.
• Do not spare funds for equipping freight transport with multi-level security systems – locks, security cameras, body opening sensors. It will help to avoid theft of cargo on the way, in temporary parking areas.
• Satellite monitoring system – the equipment helps to track the cargo.
• Tracking the tachometer readings is a violation of the working regime, when the driver is in a hurry, does not rest in the designated parking areas, and increases the risk of an accident.
• Compulsory insurance – a reputable logistician will always offer such a service, this is a guarantee that a fraudulent scheme is not planned in advance. Even if the shipment is lost, the shipper will receive legal compensation.
• Look for a carrier in a new region, city, country carefully – it is worth asking for reviews on thematic forums. Do not trust free message boards, newspapers – reviews can be customized, they cannot be trusted.

You should not order a service if it is 2-5 times cheaper than in competing organizations. You should not conclude a contract by mail. Always demand personal meetings, check the availability of transport that will carry out the transportation.