Logistics Company Vanishes, Merchants Lose 300,000 Yuan in Goods
A logistics company opened for business, collected a batch of goods, and then suddenly disappeared without a trace. The merchants involved lost over 300,000 yuan in payment for the goods. When the merchants met to discuss the situation, they suspected that their "buyer" was the same person who had conspired with the logistics company to defraud them. Currently, the police are investigating and verifying the case.
Goods Payment Unreceived, Logistics Company Vanished
Mr. Han stood by a two-story building in the northeast corner. He had been waiting there for two days, hoping that the people from the logistics company upstairs would return along with his 29,600 yuan in goods payment.
"Buyer" Specifies Logistics Company for Delivery
Mr. Han introduced himself, saying that he operates a dried goods business in the provincial capital. On the morning of the 18th, a middle-aged man with a Handan accent visited his store, inspected the walnuts and pistachios, and said he wanted to purchase a large batch of goods. After some bargaining, the price was significantly reduced. The man took a business card from the store and said he would contact them in a few days.
"On the morning of the 20th, this man called and said he wanted to order 29,600 yuan worth of goods and specified that they be delivered through this logistics company to Weixian," Mr. Han said. According to the plan, he should have been able to collect the money yesterday, but when he arrived at the logistics company, he found the office deserted.
"I've always shipped goods through familiar logistics companies before. This was my first time collaborating with this logistics company. I wasn't comfortable, so I wanted the buyer to pay half the cost upfront, but he kept putting it off, saying he would frequently buy my products and bring me the money once the goods arrived," Mr. Han said.
12 Merchants Suspected of Being Scammed Out of Over 300,000 Yuan
It is understood that 11 other merchants have had similar experiences to Mr. Han's, involving goods such as dried goods, tires, and power outlets worth over 300,000 yuan in total. All of them discovered the disappearance of the logistics company when they came to collect their payments these past two days.
"We were all working with this buyer and freight transport company for the first time. I even made a special trip to confirm before shipping," Ms. Wang, who sells wires, stated. She negotiated with the boss of the company that if the cash couldn't be received, the goods would be returned, and the boss agreed readily.
A tire merchant said that after comparing the clothing style, appearance characteristics of the "buyers," it seemed like the same person visited the 12 shops, and all specified that the goods be delivered through this logistics company. The nine different phone numbers left by the "buyer" are now all turned off.
"We suspect that the buyer and this logistics company planned this together; we've been scammed," Mr. Han said.
Logistics Company Just Opened, First Time Receiving Goods
"This logistics company just hung its sign a few days ago. It hadn't been seen receiving any goods until February 20th, which was the first time," said an employee of a neighboring company responsible for loading goods.
Subsequently, the 12 merchants collectively reported the incident to the police, and the police are currently conducting further investigations. "In future transactions, if dealing with unfamiliar clients or logistics companies, one must be more cautious. It's possible to negotiate with the other party to pay a portion of the fees upfront or pay first and ship later," said Officer Zhang from the Pinghe Police Station who took the report.