It can be difficult to tell moving scams from legitimate moving companies.  There is a lot that happens when you try to find and talk to a moving company.  Scammers know how to take advantage of this high-stress situation.  However, you can fight back by keeping an eye out for red flags.  Here are six of them.

• Blank contracts – Never, ever sign a blank contract.
• Hasty estimates – If your mover gave you a good price after just a question or two, you might want to reconsider.  You’re probably leaving yourself open to hidden charges.
• Holding deposits – If you have to pay money to “hold” a place, make sure to check into your landlord’s past.
• Too much information – Are you giving your social security number to you movers? You should take pause, because that should not be necessary.
• Instincts – Sometimes you just have a bad feeling about a situation or a particular person… trust that feeling.

Picture this:

You spoke with your moving company on the phone before hiring them.  You told them how much you needed to move, where to and when.  They asked for your contact information, and you gave it to them.  Then they gave you an estimate of $3000, which sounded good, you signed a contract, and they showed up on moving day to move your stuff.

After they dropped everything off at your new place, they gave you a celebrex order bill for $3,800.  When you asked why, they said your new place was on the second floor, which was an additional charge.

Hidden moving costs are a common moving scam.  There are a bunch of them that you might not think to ask about, and, unfortunately, the moving company can hold onto your stuff while you dispute them.  Some common hidden charges include:

• Stairs
• Distance – if movers need to walk a couple blocks from your place to the truck.
• Difficult possessions
• Extra time – travel, exceeded expectations
• Gas
• Lunch breaks
• Packing costs – for example, if your movers need to box items or fix bad boxing.
• Parking
• Credit card fees

Good moving companies can have some bad practices behind the scenes.  And, unfortunately, the risk falls on the customer in most cases.  So, it’s best to avoid companies without the essentials.

One of the most common bad practices is for moving companies to not have insurance.  Moving companies need insurance so that they can pay you back if they break your stuff during the move.  If a company is uninsured, then when they screw up, it’s you who gets, erm, screwed.  Ask to see your company’s insurance.

Another thing to watch out for is licensing.  Federal law requires moving companies who traverse state lines to follow certain licensing and reporting procedures.  If they don’t they can be subject to fee and worse.  However, for you, the main issue is this: if the company is avoiding federal law, do you want them moving your stuff?  Ask to see your company’s license.

Finally, you’ll want to make sure your moving company is indebted to anyone for a large amount of money.  If they are, and if they break something expensive, you’re pretty much assured of nothing getting paid back.  Check out your company on your state’s secretary of state website, which lists liens placed on people and companies.

Moving scams range from downright scammy to a bit unfair.  That is, some scams aren’t necessarily illegal.  However, they’ll make you feel victimized all the same.

A classic “not overtly illegal” moving scam is to advertise or quote one price, then charge a much higher one, based on hidden costs.  This is referred to as a “bait and switch”, because the moving company lures a customer in with a low quote, then changes that quote on them when it really matters.

There are a number of hidden costs that a moving company might try to slip by you, including:

• Stairs
• Additional floors
• Mileage
• Time
• Heavy furniture

Fortunately, you can protect yourself from the bait and switch by creating a good contract with the moving company.  Talk to your moving company about different potential charges, like a fee for stairs, then either put everything into the contract or make sure the contract doesn’t allow for any un-named costs.

If all potential costs are covered, including a limitation on not-listed costs, then you will know exactly what you will be charged, and the moving company won’t have any wiggle room to charge you more.

Of course, this requires that you examine the contract and request additions.  If your moving company refuses to put in language of your agreement, then it’s time to look for a new company, because they are probably baiting their hook.

Many moving companies are great businesses, but some can be mean, slimy, snakes.  Some of them intend simply to rip you off, often for thousands of dollars.  Sure, they’ll move your stuff (no promises about the degree of care), but then they’ll hit you with a bill $3,000 over what you were expecting. And if you don’t pay it?

They’ll keep your stuff.

So how do they do this?  Isn’t the price agreed to before the move?  Well, not always, and the most common scam is to have you sign a blank contract.

If a moving company asks you to sign a contract that is missing material terms or has information yet to be filled in (such as blank spaces for prices), say no.  Simply say no.  If you do sign it, you are putting yourself behind the eight ball when the company fills in a price double the estimate. Might you have some arguments against it? Yes. But do they have a signed document? Yes. And can they keep your stuff while you argue? Yes.

Again, simply put: don’t sign a contract that has blank spaces or is missing terms of your agreement, no matter what.

Moving scams extend to home buying.  In fact, some of the most serious scams out there involve mortgages.

Mortgage fraud is an umbrella term that includes dozens of different types of scams and illegal activity.  Prospective home buyers need to be very concerned about one particular type: bad mortgages.

Mortgages are essentially loans, which need to be repaid.  If they aren’t repaid, the lender can repossess the home.  Scammers take advantage of this situation by offering bad mortgages — mortgages that they know the buyer won’t be able to pay back.  Then, when the buyer fails to pay back the loan, the lender gets to repossess the home as sell it. Depending on the value of the home and how long the buyer takes to “default” on the mortgage, the lender can make a lot of money.

Bad mortgages range from the overtly illegal to legal mortgages with legitimate banks.  The common theme is that the buyer is getting led astray.

Common bad mortgages include:

• Low monthly payments early on followed by higher “balloon” payments.
• Extremely high interest rates.
• Large down payments that are required.
• Any mortgage that simply does not fit your budget.

If you want to avoid paying tens of thousands of dollars only to lose your home, we suggest that you contact a lawyer or an accountant before signing off on any mortgage.  Make sure you budget what you will have to pay each month, and determine whether you will be able to do that.

Movers are people, and people sometimes steal. While the majority of movers wouldn’t do such a thing, because they have access to your stuff, it’s easy to see a shady mover slipping your iPod into his pocket or the likes.

Fortunately, this is one of the easier moving scams to avoid.  All you have to do is protect your stuff.  There are three basic ways to do this:

1. DIY – Move your important stuff on your own.
2. Seal boxes – Sealing moving boxes with tape will prevent movers from seeing inside.
3. Keep an eye out – No one says you can’t hover around during the move.  Make sure your movers’ hands are on the boxes, not in them.

If you’re skimming craigslist or other classifieds, be wary. Many scammers purport to be landlords, and their goal is to get your personal information.

Almost every landlord out there, especially in big cities, like New York City and San Francisco, requires personal identifying information, often including you social security number (SSN). Therefore, it’s difficult to tell whether you’re dealing with a scammer. Essentially, you could be giving your SSN to a trustworthy source, or an identity thief.

So, is there any way to protect yourself?

Yes. First, never give out your SSN without first meeting with or at least speaking with the landlord. Also, make sure you know the landlord’s office location and his or her name, and double check that he/she exists — run a Google search. Finally, try to get some references — see if you can talk to a current or past tenant before submitting your application.

Also, when giving out your SSN, it might be worth putting a watch on your credit score.