Moving Company Scams: 10 Warning Signs to Spot Fraud

A moving company scam almost always announces itself before the first box is loaded: a phone quote without anyone seeing your belongings, a price far below everyone else's, a large deposit in cash or by transfer to a personal account, and no contract with an address and RFC (tax ID). The two most common schemes in Mexico are the vanishing deposit (you pay to "reserve the date" and nobody shows up) and the held-hostage load: they pack the truck and then, halfway there or at the door of your new home, demand double to unload your furniture. This guide gives you the 10 warning signs, how to vet a company in half an hour, and what to do if it has already happened to you.

How moving scams work

A move combines everything a scammer needs: a customer in a hurry (the deadline to hand over the apartment isn't going to move), a service paid for before it's delivered, and belongings that sit physically in the mover's hands for hours or days. That's why the scams repeat with very few variations:

The held-hostage load is the most damaging because it turns your belongings into hostages. A customer who has already handed over the keys to the old apartment and has the family waiting at the new home almost always ends up paying. The defense isn't negotiating on that day; it's not hiring anyone who shows the warning signs in the next section.

10 signs the moving company is fraudulent

A single sign may have an innocent explanation; two or more together are reason enough to find another company.

1. It quotes without seeing your belongings. A serious company does a walkthrough, a video call, or asks for a detailed room-by-room inventory. A fixed price over WhatsApp based on "it's a two-bedroom apartment" is the setup for a held-hostage load.
2. Its price is far below everyone else's. If three quotes hover around $12,000 and one offers $5,000, that difference will be collected later. Check real price ranges in how much a move costs in Mexico.
3. It asks for a large deposit before any service. A modest reservation fee is normal; paying half or all of it upfront to someone you haven't met is not.
4. The account is in a person's name. If the company is called "Mudanzas Express" but the transfer goes to "Juan Pérez," you have no way to claim against the company because legally it doesn't exist.
5. It gives no address or RFC. Just a cell phone and a Facebook page. With no address, there's nobody to serve a complaint to at Profeco (Mexico's consumer protection agency).
6. It offers no contract or invoice. "If you want an invoice I'll charge the IVA (sales tax) on top, but it's better without" is a way of leaving no paper trail.
7. It changes names or phone numbers. Google the phone number: if it shows up under several different business names, it's the same operator reopening after complaints.
8. Perfect, recent, generic reviews. Twenty five-star reviews in the same week, with no details about routes or dates, are often bought.
9. It pressures you with the date. "I only have one truck left that Saturday, if you don't deposit today you'll lose it." Artificial urgency is the same tactic used in rental scams.
10. It asks you to sign blank documents or a "delivered in good order" form before unloading. Once you've signed off on delivery without noting issues, claiming missing or damaged items becomes very hard.

How to vet a moving company in half an hour

Before paying anything, spend 30 minutes confirming that the company exists and stands behind what it does. This is the order we recommend:

1. Tax identity and address

Ask for the company's legal name (razón social), RFC, and registered address. If they give you an invoice for a previous job or issue one for your deposit, you can confirm the CFDI (Mexico's electronic invoice) is valid on the SAT invoice verifier. Then look up the address on a map: a warehouse or yard with trucks is a good sign; an apartment or an address that doesn't exist is not.

2. Federal highway permit (long-distance moves)

If your move crosses state lines, the truck will travel on federal highways. The Ley de Caminos, Puentes y Autotransporte Federal (Federal Roads, Bridges, and Motor Carrier Law) requires a SICT permit to provide federal freight transport. Ask for the permit number and the plates: vehicles with a federal permit carry federal-service plates, not private ones. A local hauler with a private pickup truck can be perfectly honest for a move within the city, but shouldn't be taking you across the country.

3. Complaint history

• Search the legal name and the trade name in Profeco's Buró Comercial, which publishes complaints against vendors.
• Search the phone number and name with words like "fraude," "estafa," or "retuvieron" (held) on Google, Facebook, and Reddit.
• Read the one- and two-star reviews first: they tell you more than the five-star ones.

4. Walkthrough or video call

Ask someone to see your belongings before quoting. A company that refuses a walkthrough or video call and still gives you a fixed price is saving the margin for the "recalculation."

Contract, insurance, and how to pay

Mexico's Ley Federal de Protección al Consumidor (Federal Consumer Protection Law) requires service providers to honor the price, terms, and deadlines they offered. For that to help you, the offer has to be in writing. Before signing, check that the contract or service order states:

• Total price and what it includes: packing, disassembly and reassembly of furniture, handling on stairs, number of floors, tolls, and fuel.
• What can trigger extra charges and how much they cost (for example, an additional cubic meter or special handling). If it isn't written down, you shouldn't have to pay it.
• Loading and delivery dates, with the origin and destination addresses.
• An attached inventory signed by both parties, noting the condition of the furniture at loading.
• Liability for damage and how to file a claim.

Insurance: what almost nobody reads

In federal freight transport, if you don't declare the value of what you're shipping, the carrier's liability for loss or damage is capped by law at a low amount per ton (article 66 of the Ley de Caminos, Puentes y Autotransporte Federal). In a move, that can cover a fraction of what a single TV is worth. That's why it pays to declare the value of the important items and buy the cargo insurance the company offers, checking the deductible.

How to pay

• A moderate deposit, to the company's account and with a receipt. If the company accepts a card, even better: your bank can open a dispute if the service isn't delivered.
• The rest after unloading is finished, not at loading or midway through the trip.
• If you're asked to prove a transfer, you can download the Comprobante Electrónico de Pago (electronic payment receipt) from the Banxico CEP site; keep it, it serves as proof.

Moving day: how to protect yourself

Even if you've chosen well, loading day is when claims are decided. Keep track of the following:

1. Photograph and number your boxes before the crew arrives. One photo per piece of furniture, showing existing dings, saves you arguments. Our moving checklist has the complete list.
2. Verify that the truck and crew are the ones you agreed on. Write down the plates, the driver's name, and the unit number. If a different company shows up, ask why before loading.
3. Sign the loading inventory with the piece count, and keep a copy or a photo.
4. Keep the irreplaceable with you: documents, escrituras (property deeds), jewelry, laptop, medications, and keys. Never on the truck.
5. When unloading, count the pieces and check for damage before signing. If something is missing or arrived broken, write it on the delivery sheet in detail.

If you're moving out in order to hand back a rental apartment, make sure the move doesn't collide with the handover: do the rental handover inventory after everything is out, not while the movers are going back and forth. And if you don't have a date yet, our 30-day moving timeline gives you room to get quotes calmly, which is the best defense against fraud.

What to do if you've already been scammed

If they're holding your belongings to charge you more

• Stay calm and don't sign anything new. Ask for an itemized breakdown of the extra charge in writing.
• Show the quote and the contract. If the charge isn't provided for there, say so and record it.
• If they refuse to unload, call 911: withholding someone else's property to demand money can constitute a crime, and the presence of a patrol car often breaks the deadlock.
• If you decide to pay to get your things back, pay by a traceable method and get a receipt. That receipt is the basis of your later claim.

If you paid a deposit and nobody came

1. Gather screenshots of the conversation, the ad, the payment receipt, and the account number.
2. Call your bank the same day to report the transaction and ask for a case number.
3. File a fraud report with your state's prosecutor's office (fiscalía); many accept reports online.
4. If the company has an address and a legal name, file a complaint with Profeco; you can start it online through Concilianet if the vendor is registered.
5. Report the ad and the profile on the social network where you found it.

The logic is the same as in any real-estate fraud: document everything and act fast. If the deception also involved an apartment or house that never existed, see the most common real-estate scams in Mexico and our page on avoiding fraud. And if you're going to sell furniture before moving, apply the rules in reverse using our guide to used furniture on Facebook Marketplace.

Still looking for a place to move to? Browse apartments for sale and rent or the listings in Ciudad de México, and work out what you can afford with the rent calculator. If you're leaving your current home, you can list it for free on Inmobiliaria32.

Frequently asked questions

How much of a deposit is normal for a moving company?

A moderate reservation fee, paid to the company's account with a receipt, with the balance due after unloading is finished, is reasonable. Paying half or all of it upfront to a personal account is the most common sign of a phantom-deposit scam.

What do I do if the moving company won't unload my belongings unless I pay more?

Don't sign anything new, ask for the charge breakdown in writing, and show your quote. If they refuse to unload, call 911. If you pay to get your things back, do it by a traceable method and keep the receipt for your Profeco complaint and your police report.

How do I know if a moving company is legitimate?

It should give you its legal name, RFC, address, and a valid invoice, which you can check on the SAT's CFDI verifier. For moves between states, it must hold a SICT permit for federal freight transport and use vehicles with federal plates. Also check its complaints in Profeco's Buró Comercial.

Does the moving company have to pay if it breaks my furniture?

Yes, but the amount depends on the contract and the insurance. Without a declared value, a federal carrier's liability has a low legal cap per ton. Declare the value of the important items, buy cargo insurance, and note any damage on the delivery sheet before signing.