LRF-Shipping.com Assistant Manager Reshipping Scam
LRF-Shipping.com was registered 05-jun-2015 for one year with a registrar located in Russia. All the nameservers points to a .ru webserver. The domain is registered to LRF Shipping, LLC , 8000 Maryland Ave. Clayton, MO 63105 Phone # +1.3142270244.
There is no business by that name at that address, however there are several UNVERIFIED references to LRF Shipping, LLC from March 2014 supposedly located at 661 W Primrose St Springfield, Missouri 65807-4515 tel:4178836493 but then again there is nothing that can be found to prove that it really exists.
Below is a screenshot of the website:
The Job Offer Emails
The scammers has gone to great lengths to make these emails appear professional and legitimate, but DON’T be fooled!
Below is a copy of the initial email:
From: opportunityam@gmx.com via p3nlhg1289.shr.prod.phx3.secureserver.net
Subject: (Full Name), looking for jobs?Good Afternoon,
Technology driven Multinational Corporation is searching for employees with a “team player” attitude, good communication skills, a great work ethic, with a flexible working hours.
We offer parttime home based position of Assistant Manager, that is available in United States and Canada.
Our benefits include:
– Competitive Salary
– Bonus Plan
– Flexible Hours
– Free Training
– No Experience Needed
– No Hidden PaymentsIf You’re interested and would like to know more about our company and the position offered, please email me back. You’ll get a reply with detailed information within 2 business days.
Thank you.
Have a wonderful day.
Then they send 2 followup emails that’s identical. One is from Alex Levine alex.v.levine@gmail.com via foxwoodassociates.ccsend.com with a reply to email address alex.v.levine@gmail.com Subject:”Parttime Job Description”, and the second is from LRF Shipping info@lrf-shipping.com via foxwoodassociates.ccsend.com with a reply to email of info@lrf-shipping.com Subject line: Requested Job Description.
They are sending these emails through an autoresponder service called Constant Contact which hides their actual IP address in Russia and makes it appear they are being sent from the US. Here’s a copy of these emails:
Hello,
Thank you for being interested in Assistant Manager position, offered by our company.
It is a home-based job with a flexible working schedule. This job requires only a few hours during the week and you can easily combine it with your main employment. You’ll need no money and no special skills to start.
Check out the detailed description, salary, commission and terms at our website:
http://www.lrf-shipping.com/jobs.html
To apply for this position, please fill out the application form on our website. We are looking forward to welcoming you to LRF Shipping team.
Thank you.
Have a nice day.
—
Best Regards,
Alex Levine
Branch Supervisor
LRF Shipping
Below is the Job Description shown on the website:
Job Overview:
Company: LRF Shipping
Reference ID: Assistant Manager
Employee Type: Part-Time
Location: Canada, United States, Europe, Australia
Industry: Transportation, Financial Services
Job Type: Management, Accounting, Shipping, Finance
Base Pay: $1500 /Month
Other Pay: Commission Base
Required Education: High School
Required Experience: No
Travel: No
Manages Others: NoWho We Are:
We’re a company whose values – Integrity, Respect, Performance Excellence, and Accountability – guide the actions of every member of our team, and serve as a source of pride. They are a reflection of our determination to provide superior solutions to all of our global clients.
Our mission is to deliver value through global capabilities, integrated service portfolios and our commitment to a customer-first philosophy. Our employees drive our vision – to be the premier global transportation and financial services partner for large business customers, government and education.
What We Do:
At LRF Shipping we believe in delivering a world-class customer experience. We embrace a culture of customer-centric behavior, strong financial discipline and ethical practices. We strive to provide a challenging and innovative employee work environment, and we offer Total Rewards for a job well done.
Nearly 10,000 LRF Shipping employees work in thousands of locations and environments around the world to serve the diverse shipping needs of private individuals and businesses every single day.
Around the world, every second of every day, we make payment transactions secure, fast and easy for financial institutions, merchants and their customers. We leverage our unparalleled service portfolio and expertise to deliver solutions that drive our customers’ revenue and profitability.
What We Offer:
When you help us deliver on our promise to our clients, we return the favor by delivering best-in-class rewards and benefits to you through our Total Rewards package, including medical/dental/vision, 401(k), paid vacation and holidays, work/life programs, continuous learning, and generous tuition assistance.
Looking for a challenging career with unlimited potential for growth? Then it’s time to consider LRF Shipping. We believe in peak performance, and that means more than just striving to be the best – it means being the best. We’re a confident and powerful team of individuals who feel part of something special, and drive towards the goals we set high for ourselves. You too? Then you could be perfect for a career as an LRF Shipping Assistant Manager.
Job Requirements:
• Must be at least 18 years of age
• Must be able to work as a part of a team
• Must demonstrate leadership qualities
• Must be able to perform basic mathematical calculations
• Must be able to exhibit attention to detail
• Must demonstrate the ability to learn
• Must have a focus for service
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Ability to multi-task in fast paced environment
• Capable of working responsibly with confidential information
• Must be able to lift up to 10 pounds
• Basic computer skillsJob Responsibilities:
• Ensures customer satisfaction, thereby increasing sales
• Responsible for effective execution of assignments
• Ensures accurate completion of cash reporting
• Ensures a safe, clean and secure work environment
• Comply with standards for receiving, stocking, packing and
shipping products
• Documenting activity in appropriate reporting format
• Assisting in the daily operations of the clients
• Assisting in customer retention
• Provide excellent customer serviceJob Description:
You will work hand-in-hand with your personal manager, assisting in a wide-range of areas, such as products shipping, sales and service. This includes handling purchase orders, inventory receipts, payroll, human resources issues. You will contact our customers to monitor their payments status and receive the funds, when necessary. Your efforts will support and enhance our branch-level efforts in a fast-paced environment.
Your personal manager will guide you through the whole working process and assign various tasks, providing the tuition assistance. You will receive correspondence and packages from our customers to your home or office address, verify the contents, re-pack and ship them to our company address. You will earn $70 for each parcel shipped. Also, you will receive payments from our customers to your personal or business bank account and then transfer the funds to our company. You will earn 8% of the total amount transferred. There will be some occasional assignments, such as visiting our customers to conclude supply contracts, if their offices are located in your city. Once a month, you should call our customers and partners for service quality control.
Frequently Asked Questions:
• Is this legal?
LRF Shipping is legally registered in Clayton, Missouri, United States. You can view scanned images of our Certificate of Organization and other important legal documents on our Contacts page. All shipping and payment transactions are completely legal. We can supply detailed information about each letter, parcel or transfer. We guarantee you full security of your information and non-disclosure of it to any third parties. It is the practice and policy of the Company to comply with all applicable federal, state and local laws.
• So, what’s the catch?
This is the legal way to avoid paying very high (30%-35%) customs fees and taxes. Every transaction goes as personal for non-business purposes. So, you shouldn’t pay anything for this and our company should pay much less charges and fees than in the case of traditional business schemes.
• I’m from San Diego, California. Can I apply for this job?
Yes, this position is available on the whole territory of the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii.
• I’m from Toronto, Ontario. Can I apply?
Yes, this position is also available in Canada.
• Is it possible to work in Dresden, Germany?
Yes, we have open vacancies throughout most countries of Europe, United Kingdom and Australia.
• How do I know that what is in the package not illegal? For example drugs, animal products, or supporting terrorist activities?
As we said above, everything is completely legal. We can supply detailed information about each letter, parcel or transfer. You will receive the packages, examine the contents personally and repack them.
• What is the product that will be shipped?
It will be electronics mostly such as laptops, digital cameras, etc. But maybe some other items like designers apparel or jewellery.
• What couriers do you work with?
Shipments should be sent with USPS, FedEx, UPS, DHL or any other local postal service. It will be said in the task instructions.
• Who pays for the outgoing postage of the packages?
We will cover all the fees and charges (shipping costs, wire transfer fees, phone calls, travel expenses, etc) that may occur.
• If expected to cover initial costs how quick the
reimbursement will be?We will prepay all the shipping and other costs that may occur. You shouldn’t invest anything by yourself. All the fees are fully covered and prepaid by our company.
• How many units a week would be expected to turn around?
It will be 2-3 for the first time, and when we have strong business relations the amount can be increased up to 8-10.
• Why do you need my bank account information?
Salary and commission will be paid out by wire transfer to your account. Our customers and partners will make payments to your account. We will also send prepayment for the shipping and other costs.
• Why do you need the help of third parties and do not use your own accounts?
Due to speed of remittance, minimal commission, owing to private accounts use, optimization of tax burden. Our company has branches in Eastern Europe (Kiev, Ukraine and Saint Petersburg, Russia) and it is more convenient to use such mode of operation, as foreign banks offer very high commission for business-to-business and personal-to-business remittances.
• In what way remittances are made?
You are to make remittances with Western Union or MoneyGram transfer systems.
• Should I open a new bank account?
It is not required. You can either use your current account, or open a new one. It is up to you.
• May I use several accounts registered in my name?
Availability of several accounts is the most effective mode of work.
• What is the average amounts that could be received on my account?
The transfers to personal bank accounts will be from $1000 to $7000.
• I’m a small business owner. Can I use my corporate or business account?
Sure, we have a special offer for business/corporate account owners. The amounts transferred will be $10000+ and you will earn 10% commission.
• Is this for real? There are so many scams all over the internet… What if the check turns out to be fake?
As it was said before, everything is 100% legal. One more thing is that we do not work with checks. We know about all these scams and the situation with lots of counterfeit checks on the market nowadays. Thats why we don’t work with checks in any way. We work only with secure payment methods like ACH direct deposits and wire transfers. You can withdraw the funds only after the transfer is fully cleared and verified by your bank. This is totally safe and easy.
• Is it necessary to pay taxes and report for cash assets which pass through my account?
Private remittances are not subject to tax. That’s why it is unnecessary to complete a declaration form or any other accounting reports for the total cash flow on your account. However, you should pay taxes on your base salary and commission compensation. We will provide W-2 forms annually.
• What’s the potential income available?
Basic salary that is paid once a month is $1500. The commission is paid twice a month. For example, you received 4 parcels and 1 transfer within one week. So 4 x $70 = $280 for 4 parcels reshipped. And if the transfer was $7000, your commission is 8% = $560. So the total is $840 weekly and this is only for start period. After some time of successful business, you’ll earn $85 per each package and 10% from each transfer, and of course the number of parcels/transfers will be increased.
• When is payment / salary paid?
You will be prepaid for shipping and other costs on regular basis. You will take Western Union or MoneyGram fees from the amount transferred. Base salary is paid on the 1st business day of each month. Commission is paid twice each month (1st and 15th).
• How do I know that a parcel / transfer is on the way to me?
You will receive email with detailed description and instructions that you should follow.
• What is time range that shippings / payments should be done in?
You should make the shipments / payments within 24 hours after receiving the package or after the transfer is cleared and available for withdrawal. But it is always better to act as soon as possible.
• How can you trust a total stranger?
We always do some due diligence on all of our employees. Every address and phone numbers are to be verified before starting the job.
• Can I cancel a contract unilaterally?
Yes, you can, if:
– you do not have the funds of the company, its clients or partners on your accounts;
– not a single remittance is made to your account;
– in case of preliminary notice by fax or e-mail one week before the contract cancellation.No, you can’t, if:
– you have the funds of the company, its clients or partners on your accounts;
– money have been already transferred to your account;
– there are unsettled differences and disputes between you and the company.• Are you an Equal Opportunity Employer?
Yes, we are. The Company does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, pregnancy, disability, veteran status, citizenship or any other legally protected category in connection with any phase of the employment process, including, but not limited to, selection, hiring, promotion, termination, compensation, training and benefits.
• How do I apply for Assistant Manager Position?
To apply for the Assistant Manager position with LRF Shipping, please fill out the Application for Employment below. We are looking forward to welcoming you to the LRF Shipping team.
You’ll notice the underlined sentences in red is the clear indicator that this is indeed a money mule operation. Looks like these criminals have figured out a way to incorporate both a reshipping/forwarding scam AND a Money Mule wire scam all in one package and REALLY put the screws to their victims! This is something I haven’t seen with these scams up to now.
Don’t Be A Money Mule!
These emails are NOT associated with or come from any representative of LRF Shipping LLC (not sure if a legitimate company by this name even exists) at all! These people are criminals whose intentions are to first- steal your personal information such as your social security number and/or banking account information and then second-involve you in a money mule operation where you will likely be wiring stolen money overseas!
You won’t get paid and even worse you’ll be left to cover and reimburse these stolen or counterfeit funds out of your own pocket if you participate while the scammers basically walk away with YOUR money completely unscathed. YOU could even be prosecuted!
What To Do If You Are A Victim
If you have fell victim to an employment scam, you need to contact your bank immediately and close your account IF you have provided this information to the scammers. Next file a police report with your local authorities and then file a complaint with the FBI’s internet crime center at http://www.ic3.gov/
If you provided your Social Security number to them, you need to contact the 3 credit bureaus- TransUnion, Equifax and Experian, and place a fraud alert on your report. They can steal your identity and may try and obtain credit in your name. This will alert you for at least 90 days about any suspicious activity. I highly recommend you get some sort of ongoing identity protection such as the services offered through companies like LifeLock-Visit Their Website Here!
Have you received a suspicious email offering you a “job” you never applied for? Feel free to copy and paste the email in the comments so we can help alert and prevent others from becoming victims.
FYI The scammers are also running this same scam under the name Midwest Shipping Inc. 1201 Walnut Street, Floor 7 Kansas City, Missouri 64106. This is the email they are sending to potential victims:
Subject: Parttime Job Description
From: Midwest Shipping info@midwest-shipping.com via auth.ccsend.com
Hello,
Thank you for being interested in Assistant Manager position, offered by our company.
It is a home-based job with a flexible working schedule. This job requires only a few hours during the week and you can easily combine it with your main employment. You’ll need no money and no special skills to start. It is available in United States and Canada.
Check out the detailed description, salary, commission and terms at our website:
http://www.midwest-shipping.com/jobs.html
To apply for this position, please fill out the application form on our website. We are looking forward to welcoming you to Midwest Shipping team.
Thank you.
Have a nice day.
—
Best Regards,
Peter Goldman
Branch Supervisor
Midwest Shipping
Here is the answer after my inquiry
corporations@sos.mo.gov>
Dear Ms. Bersali,
Thank you for contacting the Missouri Secretary of State’s office, Business Services Division.
After researching our business records, I did not find a company by the name of C&K Shipping LLC. I did; however, find a company by the name of C & K Shipping Inc. out of Kansas City Missouri. I am attaching their filings with our office for your review.
To further investigate the company or determine if any complaints have been filed, you may wish to contact the Missouri Attorney General’s office at 1-800-392-8222 or visit their website at http://www.ago.mo.gov. And also, the Clayton Missouri area Better Business Bureau by phone at 1-314-645-3300 or online at http://www.bbb.org/stlouis.
If you have another business name you would like searched, please let me know, or search our records online at http://www.sos.mo.gov/business/search.
I hope this information is helpful. Let me know if I can be of further assistance.
Sincerely,
Debbie Evans
Director, Springfield Office
Secretary of State Jason Kander’s Office
Business Services Division
149 Park Central Square Room 624
Springfield MO 65806
Phone: (417) 895-6333
Fax: (417) 895-6537
From: Karina Bersali [mailto:bersalik@gmail.com]
Sent: Saturday, August 29, 2015 1:19 PM
To: Corporations
Subject: inquiry about a company named: C&K Shipping, LLC.
Good morning
My purpose is to know if the following company:
C&K Shipping, LLC.
8000 Maryland Ave
Clayton, Missouri 63105
United States
exists really
This company is hiring through mail addresses for a job such as products shipping, sales and service.
They need from us to re ship parcels from our home, use our banking account to re credit their accounts….
They offer jobs through a lot of countries.
I was offered to answer and fill a form.
I just want to know if this company is real, secure, serious.
Thanks a lot for your answer.
Regards,
Mrs Bersali Karina (located in France)
C&KShipping.pdf
630 KB
C&KShippingreport.pdf
55 KB
Thank you for the information! Quite frequently,these scammers will try to steal or closely copy the identity of a legitimate business in order to appear legitimate to their victims. The scammers realize many victims will research the business name to see if they really exist and that’s how they fool victims because many times the victim may not see or question the inconsistencies between the legit business and the fake one as long as they see there is (or was) a real business operating under that name.
LOL these scammers actually has a link on their contact page to the “Missouri Secretary of State Official Website Authenticity” at https://bsd.sos.mo.gov/BusinessEntity/BusinessEntityDetail.aspx?ID=3625494. But notice the registered business name on the Secretary of State website is C&K Shipping, Inc NOT C&K Shipping, LLC! Inc and LLC are 2 different business entities. And of course the mailing address is different also. That’s the BIG RED Flag that shows they have stolen the identity of the legitimate company- C&K Shipping, Inc.
OMG !
Do you think it’s necessary for me to tell the Secretary in Missouri?
No, I think they already know it now after they read your inquiry email to them, however you could report them to the Missouri Attorney Generals Office, or file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime site at http://www.ic3.gov
Dear Kerina,
Congratulations! Your application was approved and you have been selected for the position offered.
My name is Alex Levine and I will be your personal manager, who will guide you through the employment process and will assign and supervise all the tasks.
I hope that you’ve read the job description thoroughly and understood what it is.
Your application was reviewed by our Employment Department, however we have some additional questions.
1) What days / hours are you available to work?
2) Do you have any experience in shipping?
3) Do you have any experience in bank transfers?
4) Please, provide the phone number and what time is better to reach you throughout the day?
5) Have you read the job description thoroughly and understood everything? Are there any questions you have for me?
6) It would be helpful, if you could send your resume/CV for additional review.
To ensure proper delivery, please add our email address to your address book.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask.
Thank you.
Have a nice day.
—
Best Regards,
Alex Levine
Branch Supervisor
C&K Shipping
Received twice as you described in your document : ont from C $K Shipping and one from Alex levine (samedi message )
What car I do non? I have filled their form with my complete adress and phone numbers.
Do not reply to them or give them anymore information. If they call you-Block their phone number if you have that feature on your phone, and if you receive any packages return them to sender and report this to the post office and let them know these criminals are trying to involve you in a reshipping and money mule scam.
August 2015 – they are now operating as “C&K Shipping” using exactly the same format of emails. Alex Levine is the name on the emails still. They have impressive looking registration details with the Missouri Business Filings.
See them here : http://ck-shipping.com/index.html
Thanks Julie for the info. I did some checking and ck-shipping.com was registered the same day as LRF-shipping.com which was June 5th 2015 using the same address 8000 Maryland Ave. Clayton, MO 63105. It’s not uncommon for these scammers to throw up several identical websites under different company names, it just gives them more opportunities to hook victims.
Well, thank YOU – it was when I was checking them out after receiving their emails that I found you after stumbling in the search engine. Once your article confirmed what I’d suspected I wanted to share the information that I’d found.
Bonne nuit from France!
Is this a scam?
yes it is..it’s a money mule AND reshipping/forwarding scam.