The pattern: reputable appearance, low price, prepayment
For some years, the container trade has seen more and more sellers who look flawless at first glance: a polished website, a proper legal notice with a commercial register number, friendly staff on the phone, photos of containers in a yard, often even reviews. The offer is attractive, usually noticeably cheaper than elsewhere, and payment – as is customary in the trade – is by bank transfer in advance.
After payment, no container arrives. First there are excuses about the delivery date, then the phone number stops answering, and eventually the website disappears. By then the money has long since landed in an account that no accountable person can be traced to.
The reason this works so well with containers lies in the trade itself: prepayment is normal here. A container is delivered by a haulier, often from a depot far away, so many reputable dealers ask for payment before dispatch. The fraudsters need not ask for anything unusual – they fit the familiar picture perfectly.
From practice: the operator of this site worked in the container trade for a time. Calls from customers who had accepted a supposedly cheap offer, paid in advance and then been left without a container were a regular part of daily business there.
How the sham companies operate
The methods are similar from case to case. Knowing them helps you recognise the warning signs earlier.
Copied websites. Particularly brazen and particularly effective: the fraudsters copy the website of a real container dealer almost one to one – texts, photos, product pages, layout. Only the company name, logo, contact details and legal notice are replaced. Because the content comes from a genuine business, it looks technically sound.
Borrowed identity. The legal notice often contains real data: an existing register number, a valid VAT ID, an address in an industrial estate – just belonging to another company, or one with no connection to the offer. A cursory check therefore appears to confirm everything.
Short lifespan. The sites are often online for only a few weeks or months. As soon as complaints pile up, the site vanishes and reappears under a new name.
Price just below market. Prices are set to look attractive but not absurd. An offer far below market arouses suspicion; one ten to twenty per cent below arouses the urge to buy.
Time pressure. “Only two containers left at this price”, “price rise from next week”, “reservation only with payment by Friday” – pressure is meant to stop you checking more closely.
Warning signs at a glance
| Warning sign | Why it is suspicious |
|---|---|
| Price well below comparable offers | Real dealers price similarly; conspicuous outliers have a reason |
| Prepayment only, no other payment method | Reputable dealers often offer alternatives or at least some security |
| Account holder differs from the company name | A common sign of a money mule account |
| Account abroad although the company claims to be German | Makes any recovery harder |
| No viewing possible, not even a video call | The container may not exist |
| Mobile number only, free-mail e-mail address | No established business evident |
| Legal notice does not match the commercial register | Points to a borrowed identity |
| Domain registered only recently | Typical of short-lived fake shops |
| Photos also appear on other websites | Images have been lifted |
| Container number missing or check digit wrong | The specific container is not evidenced |
| Pressure to pay quickly | Meant to prevent checks |
A single warning sign does not make a fraud – many reputable dealers also ask for prepayment. It becomes critical when several points come together.
Checking a seller in 15 minutes
- Compare with the commercial register. Look up the company on the German states’ joint register portal (handelsregister.de). Do name, legal form, registered office and management match the legal notice? Pay particular attention to the address.
- Call the company using independent contact details. Do not use the number on the website but one from the register, a trade directory or directory enquiries. Ask whether the offer really comes from them. This is exactly how copied identities are exposed.
- Cross-check texts and photos. Put a distinctive sentence from the website in quotation marks into a search engine, and run the container photos through a reverse image search. If the same content appears at another company, that is a strong warning sign.
- Look at the address. A map view shows whether there really is a depot at the address given – or a residential house, an office block full of letterbox companies, or nothing at all.
- Ask for the container number and check it. Get the number of the specific container and a current photo on which it is legible. You can calculate the check digit yourself – see Reading the container number and CSC plate.
- Take payee verification seriously. Since October 2025, banks in the EU compare the payee’s name with the IBAN on transfers and warn if they do not match. If you get such a warning, stop the payment and clarify the reason – yourself, not via the seller.
The most effective protection: a bank guarantee
If you cannot inspect the container yourself and the seller will not show it to you live in a video call, ask for a bank guarantee before paying in advance. This is the decisive protection because it targets exactly the weak spot.
How it works: the seller has their bank issue an advance payment guarantee in your favour. In it, the bank undertakes to repay the amount you prepaid if the seller does not deliver. You only transfer the money once the guarantee is in hand and verified.
Why it filters out sham companies: a bank only issues a guarantee for a real, vetted customer. A sham company cannot get one – a reputable dealer can. Simply asking for one therefore often separates the wheat from the chaff.
What it costs: for a short term and a sum of a few thousand euros, the cost is modest. From experience in the trade it is usually no more than around €75; the exact fee depends on the bank and the amount. Feel free to offer to cover the cost yourself – then a genuine dealer has no reason to refuse. Measured against a purchase price of €2,000 to €5,000, it is very cheap insurance.
What to check in the guarantee:
| Point | What matters |
|---|---|
| Issuer | a bank or savings bank, not the seller |
| Beneficiary | you, with your full name |
| Amount | at least the amount you pay |
| Term | until after the agreed delivery date, with some buffer |
| Wording | ideally irrevocable and payable “on first demand” |
| Authenticity | confirmed directly with the issuing bank – using the phone number on its official website, not details on the document |
The last point matters, because guarantee documents can be forged too. A genuine guarantee stands up to a query at the bank; a forged one does not.
Other ways to pay safely
Not every purchase needs a guarantee. These alternatives also protect you:
| Route | Protection | Limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Inspection on site, payment on handover or collection | very high | only if the depot is reachable |
| Live video call showing the specific container with legible number | high against non-existent goods | does not replace checking the company |
| Payment on delivery | very high | not every dealer offers it |
| Small deposit, balance on delivery | limits the risk | the deposit remains unsecured |
| Advance payment guarantee from a bank | very high | some lead time, small fee |
| Buying from a dealer you know locally | high | smaller choice |
Beware of so-called escrow services suggested by the seller: these websites are faked too. Only you should choose an escrow agent, never the seller.
If you have already paid
Act immediately – every hour counts.
- Call your bank. Report the suspected fraud and ask for the transfer to be recalled. If the money has already been credited, the bank can try to secure it via the recipient’s bank. There is no guarantee, and with instant transfers the money is usually gone at once – all the more reason to call quickly.
- Secure evidence. Screenshots of the website and legal notice, e-mails, invoices, bank statements, notes of phone calls with date and time.
- File a criminal complaint. With the local police or via your German state’s online police station.
- Inform the copied company. If a real company was imitated, it has its own interest in acting and can report the misuse.
- Report the fake shop. German consumer advice centres collect reports of fraudulent shops; this helps warn other buyers.
Checklist before any prepayment
- Price compared with at least two other offers, see Comparing quotes
- Company found in the commercial register, legal notice matches
- Company called on an independent number and the offer confirmed
- Texts and photos cross-checked, no copy found
- Container inspected or shown live on video, number checked
- Account holder matches the company name, account in Germany
- If no inspection is possible: advance payment guarantee received and confirmed with the bank
- Written purchase contract with condition, delivery date and delivery address
Important note
This article describes typical fraud patterns and protective measures in general terms and does not replace legal advice. The costs and terms of bank guarantees differ by bank and case. Not every dealer who asks for prepayment is dishonest – the overall picture is what counts. If in doubt, contact your bank, the police or a consumer advice centre.
Conclusion
Sham companies in the container trade look professional because they often copy real firms, and they succeed because prepayment is customary in the trade. Protect yourself in three steps: check the seller using independent contact details, see the specific container – on site or live on video – and, if that is not possible, ask for an advance payment guarantee before paying. A genuine dealer can obtain one; a sham company cannot.
Further reading: Buying a used container, Common mistakes when buying a container and Purchase contract and warranty.