CROMWELL, CT — They say they were promised thousands of dollars a month to ship expensive goods, but when it was time to pay up, the company employing them reportedly disappeared. While the victims were left empty handed, the company, which claimed to have an office in Plainville, CT, now has their employees' social security numbers and banking information.
BBB's Investigation
Better Business Bureau began investigating Ship Adventure Post in 2021, after it received five separate inquiries in one day. These consumers were approached to apply for work as a Distribution Associate for Ship Adventure Post. BBB believes their contact information was obtained via several job posting boards where they had expressed interest in “work-from-home” opportunities. There were no job listings by Ship Adventure Post.
The potential employees say they were approached by the company via text or email. Candidates who accepted this employment offer were asked to complete employment forms with their social security numbers, birthdates, and banking information for direct deposit.
The consumers told BBB that their duties as an employee were to include receiving, sorting, and distributing packages, preparing parcels for shipment, and performing various mail center activities. Each candidate was offered $1,800 per month with a bonus of $40 for each package successfully shipped on time. The prospective employees were told their average monthly income would be $3,800. However, at the end of the first month, when employees were due to be paid, they found that their login credentials were no longer valid and all attempts to contact their employer, Ship Adventure Post, were ignored. The employees were never paid and shipments to them ceased.
Among the shipments reported to BBB by Ship Adventure Post employees were high-cost designer accessories and tech equipment, such as purses, watches, shoes, and computers. When these shipments were received, the employees were instructed to inspect, repackage, and reship them to another address.
Ship Adventure Post listed a Plainville address as its office on documents. BBB’s investigation, which included speaking with the property's manager, revealed that neither the company nor the principal members were ever occupants of that address. Numerous attempts to contact the company by phone, email, or USPS have been unsuccessful.
Better Business Bureau has issued a consumer alert to make potential employees aware of Ship Adventure Post’s business practices. To speak with a victim in this case, please contact Better Business Bureau Serving Connecticut at the phone number or email address listed below.
Protecting Yourself
Employment scams have been on the rise during the pandemic, particularly work-from-home scams. Protect yourself when job hunting by:
- Researching the job offer. Call or go directly to the actual company's website for contact information to verify the job posting.
- Checking on businesses at
BBB.org if they claim to be offering jobs.
- Doing an internet search with the name of the employer and the word “scam” to see if there are reports involving job scams.
- Examining the email address of those offering jobs to see if it matches the protocols used by an actual company. Be alert to Gmail business email addresses.
- Creating a separate email address when posting a resume on job boards or applying for jobs. This can help detect “offers” from scam employers you did not contact.
- Setting up a second bank account simply to handle pay for jobs where you have never met the employer in person.
Tips to Avoid Illegal Jobs and Identity Theft:
- If you’re paying for the promise of a job, it’s most likely a scam. Be very wary of mystery shopping or secret shopper positions.
- Work-from-home jobs that involve receiving and reshipping packages are likely scams.
- Beware of jobs that involve receiving and forwarding money.
- Don’t fall for a fake check scam. BBB is not aware of any legitimate job offers that send checks to applicants and ask them to send money to a third party.
- Be cautious in providing personal information such as your full address, birthdate and financial information in your resume or to unverified recruiters and online applications.
- Be wary of vague job descriptions.
- Even if you do the work, it still may be a scam.
- Do not respond to calls, text messages or emails from unknown numbers or suspicious addresses.
- Do not click any links in a text message from a number you do not recognize. If a friend sends you a text with a suspicious link that seems out of character, call them to make sure they weren’t hacked.
It is important that victims of job scams report them to:
For More Information
The in-depth investigative study -- Job Scams: BBB study finds job scams increased during pandemic, warns job seekers to verify employment offers to avoid illegal jobs, identity theft and fake checks -- details the many forms employment fraud takes and the scams that often result.
Read the full study.
Download the PDF.
View all study materials.
