SALT LAKE CITY — Whether you're ready to move across town or across the country, moving scams are on the rise.
There are more people moving this year than last year, which is why Hire A Helper says there’s been a spike in moving scams as shown in their latest report.
According to the Better Business Bureau, 12 percent more moving scams were reported in the first five months of 2023 than in the same period last year.
Hire A Helper works with the BBB to track the most common moving scams that you should be on the lookout for.
There's the "change of address" scam. That's when perpetrators trick people who have moved into paying a fee to change their address using a fake website that looks like the Postal Service's site. They'll charge you around $100 or so to "change your address."
The "no-show" scam is when a moving company asks for a deposit and you pay, but no movers show up on the date of your move. They will ask for money via Zelle or wire transfer and then become unreachable.
Mover fraud involves a fake moving company. They give you a low quote, show up, load up your possessions and say you can't get your things back until you pay them another fee.
Hire A Helper says this is a big red flag to watch out for:
"Scammers often try to attract you with a really low bid, so if you find that somebody is offering you a bid that is really, really low compared to the rest of the movers and the moving quotes you're getting from them, that could be a scammer," says Miranda Marquit, chief data analyst for hireahelper.com. "Watch out for something that seems really far outside of the range. Somebody who is under-cutting everybody else by $1,000 or more may not be legit."
Here are some things to keep in mind when you're looking for help moving:
Shop around — get 3-5 quotes from different moving companies.
Look for companies that create a quote based on an in-home inventory assessment.
Keep a list of your packed possessions, that way you know what to report if anything goes wrong.
Make sure you can pay with a credit card because if you are scammed you can get your money back with protections from your bank.
Smaller scams to be wary of: moving companies failing to adhere to the terms of the contract. They might overcharge you or they might tell you that they'll give you a discount if you give them a positive review online.