The dumpster rental industry is currently facing a growing scam, spreading primarily through social media platforms like Facebook. Unsuspecting customers and dumpster rental businesses are falling victim to this sophisticated fraud. Here’s how the scam works, what to look out for, and how customers can protect themselves.
How the Scam Works
- A customer sees an ad on platforms like Facebook offering dumpster rentals at prices that might seem too good to be true, or even slightly discounted from typical local rates.
- The customer places an order with the advertiser, assuming they are a legitimate company.
- The scammer will then request the customer submit their payment using non-refundable platforms such as Zelle, Venmo, or Cash App.
- In some cases, the scammer then finds a legitimate dumpster rental company to fulfill the order, generally using a stolen credit card number. In other cases, the scammer simply disappears after receiving the customer’s funds.
- In the cases where the scammer orders from a legitimate company, the legitimate rental company gets notified that the credit card was stolen, usually several days after the dumpster has been delivered. At this point, the customer has already paid the scammer, who is long gone, and is left with no recourse.
- The legitimate dumpster company at this point will not retrieve the dumpster unless paid for the service. The customer, as much a victim of the scam as the dumpster company, now has to pay a second time to get the dumpster removed, or risk having the dumpster’s contents dumped on their property and the dumpster retrieved by its rightful owner.
What Customers Can Do to Protect Themselves
If you’re looking to rent a dumpster, here are some critical steps to avoid falling into this trap:
- Make sure you’re dealing with a legitimate, local dumpster rental company. A quick Google search can reveal whether the company has a business profile, website, or legitimate reviews.
- Before making a purchase, look up reviews of the company to ensure they’re legitimate. Scammers rarely have consistent positive reviews on multiple platforms, or a profile at all.
- Do not use non-refundable payment methods like Zelle or Venmo to pay for a dumpster rental. These methods do not offer protection against fraud or disputes. Use a credit card, which offers more robust dispute and fraud protections in case something goes wrong.
- Check other dumpster rental prices, if it seems too good to be true, it usually is. The days of $250 dumpsters are long gone, and a price significantly below the local market is a red flag.
- Call the company. Local companies will have a local phone number, and will always be happy to take your call and answer your questions!
We hope, in this ever evolving digital age, that this information was helpful. As much as consumers try to stay ahead of these scammers, the perpetrators are working just as hard to find new ways to separate hard-working Americans from their money.