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Useful articlesReading time ~4 minPublished 23.10.2026

How to avoid scams when buying a shipping container

Some websites and ads sell containers that don’t exist. Here’s how to spot them and what to check before you pay.

In short

  • Check the company in the Latvian Register of Enterprises and its VAT number in the VID database.
  • Ask for the specific container number and a photo or video with today’s date.
  • Pay only to the company’s account against an invoice, never to a private person.
  • If you can, see the container in person before paying.

8 signs something is wrong

  1. The price is far below everyone else’s. If a new container costs half of what it costs everywhere else, that’s the main red flag.
  2. You can’t see it. The seller always has a reason: “it’s at the port”, “in customs”, “in another country”.
  3. You must pay at once and in full. Pressure: “today is the last day”, “there’s another buyer”.
  4. Payment to a private person. Or to a foreign account whose name doesn’t match the company.
  5. The company isn’t in the register. Or the registration number belongs to another company.
  6. No container number. A real container has a unique number (e.g. MSKU 123456 7). Scammers don’t give one, or give everyone the same.
  7. The photos come from the internet. The same pictures appear on other sites. Check with Google image search.
  8. The website is new and has no contacts. No address, a WhatsApp-only foreign phone number, an email on a free service.

What to check before paying

CheckWhere
The company exists and is activeRegister of Enterprises (ur.gov.lv), Lursoft
The VAT number is validVID VAT payer register
Container number and conditionPhotos of the number, doors and CSC plate
The seller really has the containerViewing in person or a video call at the container
InvoiceCompany details, VAT and the container number on the invoice
20 pēdu one-way jūras konteiners tumši pelēks MSOU 2686260 — foto 6
The number on the doors and the CSC plate must match the number on the invoice

How to buy a container safely

  • Buy from a company with a real address and phone number in Latvia.
  • See the actual container, or ask for a video call next to it.
  • Pay by bank transfer to the company’s account against a VAT invoice.
  • Keep the messages, the invoice and the waybill.

How we work: every container has its own page with real photos and its number, the price incl. VAT is shown, you can view the containers in Riga, and the VAT invoice is issued by SIA “AutoBraga” (reg. no. 40203507510).

See containers in stock

If you have already paid a scammer

  1. Call your bank. Ask them right away to stop or recall the payment.
  2. Report it to the State Police. You can also do it online on latvija.gov.lv.
  3. Keep the evidence. All messages, the ad and the payment confirmation.

Frequently asked questions

It can be, if the seller is a real company and you can see the container. Check the same things as on a website.

No. Reserving a container against an invoice is normal. The risk is paying an unchecked seller, a private person, or without any way to see the container.

It has 4 letters and 7 digits; the last digit is a check digit. The number is on the doors, the walls and the CSC plate, and it must match everywhere.

Contents
  1. 8 warning signs
  2. What to check
  3. How to buy safely
  4. If you already paid
  5. Frequently asked questions

Containers in stock in Riga

Every container has real photos, including the inside. You can view all of them before buying.

See used containers
Call 26764096

Shipping containers available now

Every listing is a specific container in our yard, with its own photos and price.

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