SWMO business warns of scheme

A Walnut Grove trucking company is working with the Better Business Bureau to inform consumers of a scheme the owner says involved scammers using the name of the business for illegal purposes.

Westerman’s Express LLC owner Joe Westerman told the BBB that scammers created a website using his company’s name and recruited employees nationwide to receive, repackage and reship items. In complaints to the BBB, the consumers said they were promised $3,000 per month in pay for the work-from-home jobs but never received payment, according to a news release.

Westerman told the BBB his business does not have a website and he only hires local residents for employment. His business has been in operation for nearly 10 years and accredited with the BBB for more than five years. It has the top rating on its BBB profile, with no customer complaints.

The BBB release cited cautionary statements from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service that indicate work-from-home reshipping jobs often can be scams.

“Modern mailing techniques and equipment have virtually eliminated the need for homeworkers to perform legitimate envelope stuffing, addressing and mailing services,” USPIS officials wrote on its website. “Plus, your paycheck from one of these scams could be counterfeit, too.”

Westerman said he’s fielded 150 calls related to the scheme, including from one person who attempted to turn him over to a collection agency.