Shipping container scams have become more prevalent lately, and container resellers have become a target for scammers taking advantage of the global shortage and high price of shipping containers. A large number of people have reported buying shipping containers, never to receive them.
Many scammers are impersonating legitimate businesses such as shipping container resellers, but they have also started copying companies in related industries such as freight forwarding. Most of these scams can be found on Facebook or Google. Reports by 9Now and the Australian Financial Review document the scale of the problem.
Magellan Logistics does not sell shipping containers. Magellan’s trading name, logo and ABN are currently being used by one such scammer. We have reported the scam to ScamWatch, Australian Cyber Security Centre, Facebook, Westpac, Border Force and Victoria Police. We have also conducted a thorough security audit of our systems to ensure we have not been compromised.
Steps you can take to ensure you don’t fall for shipping container scams:
- Be wary of discounts. Shipping containers are not cheap and tend to escalate during peak demand. The current market price for a 20’ container is around $4,500.
- Verify the business. Request some evidence, such as a business registration certificate, liability insurance, and bank account proof of ownership. Look for evidence of a full address, a publicly listed phone number, Google location information, third-party site mentions, and reviews. And ensure they have a .com.au website address. Also, check that the ABN matches the published business name precisely via ABN Lookup.
- Call the phone number they give you. Ask lots of questions about locations and containers. Do they sound genuine?
- Check email and website addresses. Most legitimate businesses do not use free email accounts such as Gmail, Hotmail or Outlook.
- Ask to look at the container. Before you buy a shipping container, you should inspect it. Don’t deal with any provider who is not transparent and declines an inspection.
If you or someone you know thinks you may be dealing with a scam shipping container reseller masquerading as Magellan Logistics, call us on 1300 651 888.
Other scams:
You may also be aware of another common type of scam – email phishing scams. This is where an email, designed to look like it comes from a business you deal with, advises of changed bank details. Please note that Magellan Logistics will never email you new bank account details.
Please do not hesitate to get in touch with your Sales or Client Services representative at Magellan if you have any questions about scams on 1300 651 888.
