Shipping Container Scam Alert: How To Spot, Avoid, And Report Them.
A fraudulent operation is currently impersonating First Choice Containers using brand-similar names. This page lists the impersonator details, the broader scam patterns common across the shipping container industry, and a six-step process for verifying any seller before you send money.
A scam operation is using brand-similar names to defraud our customers.
We have confirmed an active fraudulent operation impersonating First Choice Containers. The Better Business Bureau has published a public alert about this impersonator on our BBB profile. The names below are intentionally close to ours. Always check the company name letter by letter and verify the seller before you pay.
Names being used by the impersonator
- “1st Choice Containers”
- “1st Choice Shipping Containers”
- “First Choice Shipping Containers”
- They list a Hutchins, TX address that belongs to a legitimate, unrelated business — the real occupants have no connection to the scam.
- They demand full prepayment before delivery, almost always by wire transfer.
- First Choice Containers is BBB-accredited; the impersonator is not, and the BBB has published a public alert about it on our profile.
Verify us independently. First Choice Containers is BBB-accredited at the McKinney, TX listing. The BBB has published a public alert about this impersonator on our profile.
The same six patterns show up in almost every container scam.
Beyond the impersonator targeting our customers, similar schemes target buyers of other reputable container companies across the country. The mechanics are remarkably consistent. Learn the patterns and the rest of this guide becomes easier to apply.
- Pattern 01
Wire-transfer-only payment
Legitimate container sellers accept ACH, credit card, or check. A seller that insists on wire transfer — and gets aggressive when you push back — is the single most reliable scam signal in this industry.
- Pattern 02
Full prepayment before delivery
On a standard container, paying the full price up front is unusual. Most reputable sellers take payment on or before delivery, with the exception of modified or custom builds, which require a deposit because the build is bespoke.
- Pattern 03
Prices well below market
Used 20-foot dry containers in most US markets fall in a known price band. A listing well under that band, especially with no inspection or yard visit allowed, is bait.
- Pattern 04
Lookalike company names and domains
Scammers register names that read like a known seller — '1st' instead of 'First', 'Shipping Containers' added or dropped — and domains that match. Always check the company name and URL letter by letter.
- Pattern 05
Fake or borrowed addresses
A listed address may be a real lot, a UPS Store, a vacant property, or a legitimate unrelated business. Drop the address into Google Street View before sending money, and call the listed business to confirm.
- Pattern 06
Hijacked Google or marketplace listings
Scammers buy expired Google Business Profiles, post on Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist with stolen yard photos, and harvest leads through fake escrow links. The reviews and photos can look real and still be a front.
If you see two of these together, walk away.
A single warning sign on its own is not always proof of a scam. Two or more in the same conversation almost always is. Use this list as a fast checkpoint before you send any money.
- They will only accept wire transfer or cryptocurrency.
- They demand 100% payment before delivery on a standard container.
- The price is significantly below market for the size and condition.
- The company name is one or two letters off from a known seller.
- There is no verifiable phone number — only chat, text, or email.
- They refuse a yard visit, video call, or independent inspection.
- The website was registered in the last few months and has no real history.
- The address is shared with an unrelated business, a mailbox store, or a vacant lot.
- They pressure you to decide today and threaten to sell the unit to someone else.
Six steps. Roughly fifteen minutes. Saves a five-figure mistake.
Use this process for any container seller — including us. Independent verification is the entire point. A real seller will be glad you checked.
- 01
Call the company directly using the number on its real website
Don't reply to the email or text thread. Open a fresh browser tab, find the company on its own domain, and call the number listed there. A real seller will answer or call back within a normal business window.
- 02
Verify the company on the BBB
Search the company name on bbb.org. Look for accreditation, the rating, the listed address, the years in business, and any complaints or alerts on the profile. A missing or brand-new BBB profile on a company claiming decades of experience is a red flag.
- 03
Check the address on Google Maps and Street View
Drop the address into Google Maps. Use Street View to confirm there is an actual container yard, sales office, or signage at that location. If the address is residential, a UPS Store, or an unrelated business, stop.
- 04
Check how long the website has existed
Use a free WHOIS lookup or the Wayback Machine to check when the domain was registered and whether the site has any history. A site that claims years of experience but was registered last month is almost always a scam.
- 05
Refuse wire transfer; insist on a protected payment method
Pay with a credit card, ACH, or check whenever possible. These methods give you a chargeback or dispute path. Wire transfers and crypto generally do not — once the funds are sent, recovery is difficult.
- 06
Get the quote in writing on company letterhead
Ask for a written quote that lists the unit size, condition, delivery address, total price, payment terms, and the company's legal name, phone, and address. Legitimate sellers do this every day. Scammers usually won't.
Speed in the first 24 hours is the single biggest factor in recovery.
Wire transfers can sometimes be recalled in the first day, and early bank reports anchor every later step. Work this list top-to-bottom even if you’re not sure yet.
- 01
Call your bank or card issuer immediately
Report the transaction as fraud. Wire transfers can sometimes be recalled in the first 24 hours; credit and debit card payments can be disputed. Speed matters more than anything else in the first day.
- 02
File a report with local law enforcement
File a police report in the city you live in. A report number is often required for bank fraud claims and any later civil action.
- 03
Report to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
Submit a complaint at ic3.gov. The FBI tracks wire fraud and online seller scams and can coordinate across jurisdictions. ic3.gov
- 04
Report to the FTC
Submit a report at reportfraud.ftc.gov. The FTC uses these reports to build cases against repeat offenders. reportfraud.ftc.gov
- 05
Report to the BBB Scam Tracker
Add your experience to BBB Scam Tracker. This warns other buyers researching the same names and patterns. bbb.org
- 06
Tell us so we can update the alert
If the scammer is using one of our brand-similar names or pretending to be FCC, contact us. We keep this page current and pass new details to BBB so the public alert reflects what is happening now.
Answers buyers ask before sending money.
If you have a question about a specific quote, message, or seller you are dealing with, call us directly using the number on this site. We’d rather answer a hundred questions than see one customer get defrauded.
Contact First Choice Containers01Is First Choice Containers the same company as 1st Choice Containers?
No. First Choice Containers is a BBB-accredited business based in McKinney, TX, in business since 2009. "1st Choice Containers," "1st Choice Shipping Containers," and "First Choice Shipping Containers" are names used by a fraudulent operation that has been impersonating us. The Better Business Bureau has published a public alert about the impersonator on our BBB profile.
02How do I know I'm dealing with the real First Choice Containers?
Verify three things. (1) The phone number you're calling matches the one published on firstchoicecontainers.com. (2) The company is BBB-accredited at bbb.org under the McKinney, TX listing. (3) Payment is not requested by wire transfer. We accept ACH, credit card, and check. We do not require full prepayment on standard containers and we do not ask customers to wire money.
03What payment methods do real container companies accept?
Most legitimate US container sellers accept ACH transfers, credit card, debit card, business check, and sometimes financing. Wire transfer is occasionally used for very large commercial orders, but it is unusual on a single standard container. A seller that will only accept wire transfer should be treated as suspicious until verified through an independent channel like the BBB.
04Why do scammers ask for wire transfers?
Wire transfers are fast, hard to reverse, and difficult to trace once the funds clear. Credit card and ACH payments give the buyer a dispute path; wire transfers and crypto generally do not. That asymmetry is why scammers push for them so aggressively.
05What if a container price seems too low?
Check the price against multiple reputable sellers in your region. Used 20-foot dry containers in most US markets fall within a known price band. A listing significantly below that band, especially with no inspection allowed and wire-only payment, is almost always bait. Real sellers can explain why a price is low — auction lot, surplus inventory, condition grade — and will let you verify.
06How do I check if a container company is legitimate?
Call the number on the company's own website (not the one in the email). Search the company name on the BBB. Drop the listed address into Google Maps and Street View to confirm there is a real container yard or office. Check how long the domain has existed using a WHOIS lookup. Refuse wire transfer and insist on a written quote on company letterhead with the legal name, address, and phone.
07I think I was scammed. What should I do right now?
Call your bank or credit card issuer immediately and report the transaction as fraud — wire transfers can sometimes be recalled in the first 24 hours. File a police report locally. Submit a complaint to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov and to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. Report it on BBB Scam Tracker so other buyers see the warning. If the scammer was using a name similar to ours, please notify us so we can update this alert and the BBB.
08Where can I report a shipping container scam?
Report to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov, the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov, your local police department, and the BBB Scam Tracker at bbb.org/scamtracker. If the scam involved an impersonator using a name similar to First Choice Containers, please also contact us so we can update this page and notify the BBB.
09Does First Choice Containers ever require full payment up front?
Not on standard containers. The only exception is modified or custom container builds, which require a deposit because the build is bespoke and material has to be ordered. Even then, the deposit is not the full price, and the payment method is not wire transfer.
Real Quote, Real Phone, Real Yard.
If a price, quote, or message feels off — even a little — call us using the number on this page. Verifying a seller takes minutes; recovering from a wire-fraud scam can take months.