The scammers will call you, alright. They are cunning as the proverbial outhouse rats. I got scammed on a transport job. I needed some industrial gates and chain-mesh fencing rolls picked up from a location many hundreds of kms away. They were purchased at auction, and located in a Govt Dept yard.
The scammers registered with a load-finding site, calling themselves "iTransport Solutions". I put up the load for offers, and they emailed me with a reasonable price.
Then they called me and discussed the job. I should've been wary of the Indian voice, but many businesses use India as a base for administration, and Indians make up a sizeable portion of the Australian population today.
Then he sent an email with a proper invoice and an Australian bank account number, and even an address and landline number.
I checked on the address and it was an office location in Melbourne, Victoria and looked legitimate.
I was still suspicious, so I asked if the company was picking up the goods with their own truck or using a subcontractor.
The guy advised they were using TNT Transport as the subcontractor, and even sent me a genuine TNT booking confirmation!
I paid the $780 they requested, and then when I asked the guy in charge of the Govt Dept yard two days later, if the fencing materials had been picked up, he told me, No!
It was only then I realised that anyone can book a job with TNT and get a confirmation - but you don't have to proceed with the job!
The scammers vanished, and my money went with them!
