Last time, we looked into Money Mule scams and how they could potentially land you in legal trouble for being an unwitting accomplice to money laundering. This time, we’ll look at the ‘reshipping’ scheme, another type of work-at-home scam.

Reshipping scams work almost identically to money mule schemes, except that instead of receiving electronic deposits and making outgoing wire transfers, victims are lured into accepting shipments of goods (usually electronics), repackaging them, and sending them to someone else. The criminal organizations recruit through job websites and via unsolicited emails, and may set up legitimate-looking websites to give the appearance of an established company.

Where did the reshipped goods come from? When cybercriminals steal things like credit card information, they have to have a way to turn that available credit into cash. Creating fake cards and getting cash advances in-person isn’t practical, so consumer goods are purchased using the stolen payment information. These goods are laundered by way of reshipping schemes, then sold off into the black market around the world. The cash generated from this is subsequently laundered via money mule scams and other methods.

Just as with money mule schemes, just being a victim of reshipping fraud can get you into trouble because you’re the only domestic, easily traceable link in the chain.

The internet is great for job hunting, but you have to be wary of offers that seem a little too easy or where the bar seems to be set too low. Remember that the majority of work-at-home offers are not legitimate employment opportunities. Anyone instructing you to, “Take this item, then give it to these other people for me,” is trying to conceal the origins of whatever it is they’re asking you to touch, whether money or consumer goods. They want you as the only traceable step in the transaction, and they’ve got a reason for wanting it that way.