Besides payment scams, freight forwarders may also encounter “freeloading” scams, where they are tricked into providing free services.

Some clients pretend to be interested in cooperation and send detailed project proposals to freight forwarders, requesting various solutions. They might ask all sorts of questions, such as “How long does air freight from China to the US take?”, “Which airlines offer direct flights?”, “How to handle dangerous goods transportation?”, and so on.

To win clients, freight forwarders often diligently answer these questions and provide detailed solutions and quotes. However, after obtaining the necessary information, these clients vanish without a trace, showing no real intention of cooperation.

When receiving inquiries from such clients, freight forwarders should be vigilant and carefully assess their true intentions. They can request clients to sign confidentiality agreements or charge a consultation fee to protect their intellectual property.