How Leo Packers is Tackling the Issue of Fraud Imposters to Protect Clients

It is common knowledge that businesses today must prove their trustworthiness to garner clients, but what if we tell you that this relocation company not only has to prove its reliability but also its own identity! Here's the story of Leo Packers and Movers, a company that has been fighting to prove its genuineness for over a decade.
 

Mr. Abhay Shah (Left) and Mr. Dilip Shah (Right) - Leo Packers and Movers
 

History of the Company

What started as a transport company in the '60s for defence personnel, transformed into a packing and moving company in the '70s when the banks got nationalized and civilians started to relocate, thus was born Leo Packers and Movers. "The true success of our business lies in how we've trained and retained our staff. Ours is a human resource intensive business; client experience rests on the shoulders of our relocation crew as they are the ones who are on the field with the customers, delivering quality service and building relationships. We pay utmost attention to ensure that our staff is well taken care of. We take pride in the fact that we have staff working with us for over 20 years," says Managing Director, Dilip Shah.

The Unique Problem of Companies Impersonating Leo's Identity

Over the years, as Leo's reputation has grown, it is faced with a unique problem - the problem of fraud imposters. These are unregistered, unethical, unprofessional companies that "copycat" Leo's identity. From copying the trademarked name and registered logo to creating fake social profiles and business listings to booking similar website domains to running ads that mimic Leo's digital presence - these fraudsters have done it all. "There was this one instance in 2016, where Leo was offered to present to the board of a leading MNC in India for their employee relocation. To my astonishment, there was another person calling himself "Abhay Shah, owner of Leo Packers". Later, upon questioning the impersonator fled the scene," recounts Abhay Shah, Director Leo Packers and Movers.
 

For Leo, the issue does not end here. These fraud companies provide poor service to clients with delays, damaged goods and unprofessional dealings. Some even resort to pilferage, holding items hostage for additional fees and taking 2-3X the payment. Needless to say, this has cost Leo a loss in reputation, generated negative publicity on social media, blogs and online communities and has caused significant financial and emotional headaches to clients who were looking for service from the original Leo packers.
 

Leo has undertaken multiple initiatives both on the online and offline front. A few fraud companies have shut-shop thanks to the support from local police and lawyers. However, new players emerge each day. "Keeping pace with impersonating companies is a task for us at Leo. In fact, in 2020 we undertook a series of activities to clean the internet of fraud Leos. We claimed all our custom social profile URLs, flagged umpteen fake business listings, issued a public caution notice, applied for US trademark certificate, created videos, ran ads, emailed to all customers who had fallen prey to frauds on how to file a complaint and what steps to take, etc. However, there are still issues that create confusion in the market. Take for instance Google map listings, despite our best efforts we are unable to claim these and they continue to drive traffic to impersonate companies. Additionally, some companies use domain names that mimic ours - leopackersandmovers.com," says Abhay.

The company has launched multiple online efforts on the issue of frauds and scams that are prevalent in this industry. The latest campaign, #NotThisLeoPackers, is a Public Service Announcement in the form of a jingle. The domain originalleopackers.com has also been purchased solely to educate and create awareness. "While we undertake multiple initiatives as a company to protect our brand and safeguard prospective clients, the need of the hour is stronger enforcement of rules and regulations with quick turnarounds from concerned authorities in the country," says Abhay.

A Final Word of Caution

Individuals ought to protect themselves from scams and fraudulent moving companies:

1. Carefully research before hiring a moving company
2. Review the company website and its authenticity
3. Check out their customer reviews
4. If possible, visit their office
5. Specifically, to find the original Leo Packers and Movers: Ask for the company Trademark, GST registration, shops and establishment certification, PAN card and most importantly check whether the website is www.leopackersandmovers.com (with no misspellings in the domain name and .com in the top-level domain) and whether the logo is that of a lion with briefcase and shoes.