Most moving scams depend on one simple step: getting the customer to pay before any truck shows up. Federal investigators have described the pattern for years. A company asks for a large deposit, insists on cash or a wire transfer, and then either never arrives or uses the money it already holds as leverage. Here is how the tactic usually works and what you can do about it.
How the big-deposit scam works, step by step
- The hook. The customer finds the company online, often through glowing reviews. In a federal case in Pennsylvania, prosecutors charged that the defendants posted fake five-star reviews on their own websites and on sites such as the Better Business Bureau and Yelp to get customers to book and pay deposits.
- The quick, cheap quote. The price is given over the phone or online, with no visit to look at your belongings. FMCSA tells consumers to be wary of brokers who give low estimates over the phone or online without seeing the home.
- The pressure. The U.S. Department of Transportation's Office of Inspector General (DOT OIG) describes sales reps who call and email several times a day and say a deal is good only today, so a deposit is needed now to lock in the rate.
- The payment demand. The company won't take credit cards. It wants cash, postal money orders or a direct wire transfer, and it may ask for a large deposit before the move.
- The vanish or the squeeze. On moving day, nobody comes and nobody answers the phone. Or a crew loads your goods and then raises the price. In a federal racketeering case in Ohio, prosecutors charged that after customers complained to regulators, the defendants would close the company and open a new one.
Warning signs
- The company asks for cash or a large deposit before the move. FMCSA lists this as a red flag.
- It accepts only cash, money orders or wire transfers. Cash leaves no paper trail and is hard to dispute or recover.
- The website shows no local address and no USDOT number, broker or carrier registration, or insurance details.
- The deposit and refund terms aren't in writing, or you get no written estimate at all.
- The company has little or no history under its current name.
A deposit by itself does not prove fraud. Legitimate movers often take a modest deposit. The warning signs are a large amount, payment methods you can't dispute, and pressure to pay right away.
What the law says
Interstate household-goods brokers are covered by special federal rules in 49 CFR Part 371, Subpart B. Under § 371.117, a broker must clearly post its cancellation policy, deposit policy and deposit-refund policy on its website and in its agreements with customers. Under § 371.107, brokers must show their physical address and their USDOT and MC numbers in ads and on their homepage. Under § 371.113, any estimate a broker gives must be in writing and based on a physical survey by the authorized carrier.
There is a limit to these rules. When FMCSA wrote them, it said it would not set the details of brokers' refund policies or require brokers to refund deposits, because a broker may have had legitimate costs. In practice, your protection is the written policy you receive before you pay, plus the payment method you choose. FMCSA also says it does not have the authority to resolve claims against a moving company. Its job is to log complaints and enforce its rules.
When a mover won't release your belongings until you pay more, federal law at 49 U.S.C. § 14915 sets civil penalties and also allows criminal penalties.
Recent enforcement
In the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Matthew Pardi, Ashley Lynn Hars and Proud American Vanlines, LLC were indicted on charges of wire fraud, interstate transportation of property obtained by fraud and aggravated identity theft. The indictment says the defendants got customers to book and pay deposits, then raised the price, sometimes after the goods were already loaded. It says they obtained more than $12 million. These are charges, not convictions.
On October 6, 2025, a federal court in New Jersey sentenced two moving companies, Abda Moving, LLC (doing business as 11 Even Movers and Storage) and Mallad Trading, LLC, for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The court ordered restitution of $1,908,486 and $314,761. In Colorado, the owner of an Aurora moving company was sentenced to six years in prison for theft after customers' belongings, worth nearly $151,000, never arrived and he stopped answering their calls.
If it happens to you
- Contact your payment provider right away. Card payments can be disputed. Cash and wire transfers are much harder to recover.
- Keep everything: quotes, texts, emails, receipts, call logs and the company's USDOT number.
- File a federal complaint for interstate moves through FMCSA's National Consumer Complaint Database, or call 1-888-368-7238.
- Contact your state attorney general's consumer protection office, and file a police report if your goods are being held or stolen.
This article is general information, not legal advice. For your specific situation, contact FMCSA and your state attorney general.
How to check a mover before you sign
- Get the company's USDOT number and look it up. MovePricer runs a free lookup at movepricer.com/check, and FMCSA's tools are at ProtectYourMove.gov.
- Check whether the company is registered as a carrier or a broker, and read its complaint history.
- Get the estimate and the deposit and refund terms in writing before you pay anything.
- Don't pay a large deposit, and don't pay in cash, by wire or by money order.