May is National Moving Month, according to the Better Business Bureau. The bureau received more than 9,300 moving-related complaints in 2012 ranging from damaged, missing items, surprise increases in charges and property being withheld until customers come up with the extra money, according to the BBB.

"A con artist with just a truck and a website can claim to be a legitimate mover with unfortunate results for consumers who don't check out a company in advance," said Linda Bauer Darr, president of the American Moving & Storage Association.

Click here to read a checklist compiled by the BBB and the AMSA.