Many moving-scam stories start with a quote that seemed too good to pass up. Arizona's attorney general warns that dishonest movers often give a low estimate over the phone or online to win the job and then demand far more once the goods are on the truck. Consumer protection officials call the end result a "hostage load": the company raises the price after loading and keeps your things until you pay.
How it works, step by step
- The quote. You fill out a web form or take a phone call. Nobody looks at your belongings. You get a low price, often written as a number of cubic feet.
- The deposit. The company asks for money up front to "lock in" your date.
- The re-measure. On moving day, the crew says you have more stuff than the salesperson figured. They "re-measure" the load in cubic feet and give you a new, much higher total. Sometimes you're asked to sign blank or partly filled-in paperwork.
- The leverage. Your furniture is already on the truck. Pay the new price or don't get your things back.
- The vanishing act. Sometimes a company you never hired shows up. Complaints go nowhere because the business has changed its name.
What the court records show
Federal cases describe this same pattern. In the Eastern District of New York, a jury in December 2023 convicted two former employees of Brooklyn-based Great Movers, Inc. of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation's Office of Inspector General (DOT-OIG), the defendants brought in customers with fake online reviews and told sales staff to low-ball moving costs. Then, after customers signed and sometimes after their goods were loaded, the movers added new charges. Prosecutors said the scheme took more than $3 million from over 800 victims. In February 2025, the court ordered four defendants to pay $1,795,950 in restitution. The company's president was also indicted. According to DOT-OIG, the indictment alleged he used fictitious names and addresses to get carrier numbers from FMCSA.
In a separate case in the Southern District of Ohio, a Miami man was sentenced to 78 months in prison for his part in a racketeering enterprise. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, the enterprise's employees loaded customers' goods, raised the price and used inflated cubic footage. The defendant kept track of customers' "real" cubic footage while charging the inflated price.
What federal law says
These rules cover interstate moves, under 49 CFR Part 375. Moves within one state fall under state law.
- A quote is not an estimate. FMCSA says a mover's "rate quote" is not an estimate. Interstate movers must give you a written estimate of all charges, and it should be based on an actual or virtual look at your belongings.
- Survey required. Rule changes in 2022 removed the old exception for homes more than 50 miles from the mover. A survey can now be done in person or by live or recorded video. A phone call or form with no video does not count. You can waive the survey only in writing, before loading.
- Binding estimates. If the mover loads your shipment without writing a new binding estimate, FMCSA says the original binding estimate stands.
- Non-binding estimates. On a non-binding estimate, the mover must find the actual weight of your shipment to calculate the lawful charge. At delivery, it cannot require more than 110 percent of the estimate.
- Added items. If you add items or services, the rules require a new written estimate. FMCSA says it must be done before loading and agreed to by both sides.
Warning signs
- A price given without an in-person or video survey.
- A quote far below other companies' quotes.
- Pricing based only on cubic feet, with no itemized inventory.
- Requests for cash only or a large deposit. FMCSA's consumer booklet tells people to avoid movers that refuse a physical survey or demand cash only.
- A company that won't say whether it is a broker, or won't name the carrier that will actually move your goods.
If it happens to you
This is general information, not legal advice. Don't sign blank or incomplete documents. Keep your estimate, order for service and bill of lading, and photograph the loaded truck. FMCSA says that if you have paid 110% of a non-binding estimate or 100% of a binding estimate and the mover still won't deliver, the mover has violated federal regulations. In that case, file a complaint with FMCSA or call 1-888-368-7238. Also contact your state attorney general. Several states have sued movers over this tactic, and some have laws against hostage loads on in-state moves.
How to check a mover before you sign
- Get a written estimate based on an in-person or video survey, and get at least three.
- Ask whether the estimate is binding or non-binding. If it's non-binding, ask for the 110% figure in writing.
- Confirm the company is registered with FMCSA at protectyourmove.gov.
- Look up its USDOT record, free, at movepricer.com/check.