Moving fraud is reported to FMCSA's National Consumer Complaint Database every year, and the pattern is consistent year after year: shippers pay a small deposit, the truck arrives, the household goods get held hostage at twice the quoted price.
The good news is that nearly every scam follows the same playbook. If you can recognize the signals below, you can almost always avoid them.
1. The quote arrives without an in-home or video survey
Any reputable interstate mover handling a 2-bedroom or larger home will insist on either an in-home walkthrough or a video survey before issuing a binding estimate. A blind quote based on a phone call is the single most reliable indicator of a problem mover.
If you only need a 1-bedroom local move, a phone or photo estimate is fine. But for anything interstate, walk away from any company that quotes sight-unseen.
2. They demand a large deposit upfront
A reputable carrier either asks for no deposit at all or a small refundable hold. A large deposit demand — especially by wire transfer, Zelle, or cryptocurrency, all of which are hard to reverse — is how the goods-hostage scheme starts.
Pay by credit card whenever possible. The chargeback right under the Fair Credit Billing Act is your strongest recovery tool if the move goes sideways.
3. The USDOT number doesn't check out
Every interstate mover has a USDOT and an MC number. Type the number into FMCSA's SAFER tool and confirm the company name matches, the operating authority is active, and the insurance filings are current. If anything mismatches, do not book.