Job Scam Alert- My experience with a scammer last evening

[leonidas_alexan 45]

Last night what I thought was an online interview for a job that I had applied for -turned out to be a potential defrauding scam. I am making this post to share my experience so that people who are desperate to get a job may not fall for this or any other similar trap.

This is how it began:

A few days back I had made a job application for the following position

http://www.glassdoor.com/job-listing/data-entry-tristan-burch-JV_IC1130198_KO0,10_KE11,24.htm?jl=1157040780&paoIdKey=MA==

Once I clicked on the APPLY button I was led to this following website:

http://jobs.marketinghire.com/jobs/6420250?utm_source=BoxwoodGlassdoor&utm_medium=Glassdoor&utm_campaign=Boxwood%2BGlassdoor%2BFeed

After making the job application I had received the following email response:

Dear Applicant,

Our recruitment team viewed your resume Application : Data Entry - Full Time/ Part Time) and we are pleased with your qualifications,we believe you have the required qualifications to undergo an online interview.you are required to setup a yahoo mail account (mail.yahoo.com) and a yahoo instant messenger(messenger.yahoo.com)after this process is done,you are to add up Mr Mike Anderson on His yahoo ID (Hroffice900@yahoo.com) to your yahoo buddy list and Instant Messenger him for the interview Asap for the interview so that you can get Started for the position.Interview schedule: ASAP

Hope to read back from you as soon as possible.

Best regards,

Although I felt it was slightly unusual for a job interview to be conducted through yahoo messenger- I had known of friends being interviewed via Skype so I did not pay much attention to this detail.

Last night this is how the interview proceeded in the yahoo messenger. I have edited some parts where not relevant and I have some sentences in bold and italics where the scam can be detected. Sentences beginning with "hroffice900" is the guy who was interviewing me and replies beginning with "r" is me.

hroffice900: Hello

hroffice900: How are you doing today?

hroffice900: I believe you are here and set for your job briefing and interview?

hroffice900:

I am Mr Mike Anderson,age 54. The personnel manager/Chief Executive Officer of Access Company LTD Please introduce yourself and indicate your age state and city

hroffice900:

To know more about the company please visit http://gl.access-company.com/ ,You have 5 minutes to go through it .once done do let me know so we can proceed further.

hroffice900:

The positions available are Data Entry / Administrative Assistant Specialist? / Executive Assistant / Customer Service

Which of the above listed positions do you think you will fit in ?

hroffice900:

Just follow the briefing and you can ask questions when i am through. Let me know when you have finshed reading and understanding every line. You will be allowed to ask questions later.With each line just respond with an OK?

hroffice900:

Next would be the briefing about the Job and the company. I advise you read with care OK?

hroffice900:

The name of the Company is Access Company LTD .Founded in April 1979 and headquartered in Japan, this branch hiring you is located in 48371 FREMONT BLVD STE 101 FREMONT, CA 94538 USA

ACCESS is a global provider of advanced software technologies to the mobile and beyond-PC markets. With research and engineering centers throughout the world and a progressive company culture that emphasizes and nurtures innovation and creativity, ACCESS delivers unique solutions that bring value to its customers and partners and which help make life easier, more productive, and more enjoyable.

hroffice900:

Our goal is to always have the capacity, competence and flexibility to meet our clients' needs, whatever they may be. The company is now going into DATA ENTRY CLERK and ADMINISTRATIVE CLERK POSITION work from home job to create employment opportunity for the less privilege, disables and mainly to decrease the rate of unemployment in the economy

hroffice900: This is strictly an online and work from home Data Entry job the working hours are flexible and you can chose to work from anywhere of your choice,the pay is $30 per hour, During training is $25 per hour and will be get payment bi weekly via direct deposit or paycheck working 30 to 40 hours weekly full time 20 to 25 hours weekly part time. You will be working as a full time employee.

hroffice900:

Benefits for eligible employees include: Health, Dental, Life and AD&D Insurance, Employee Wellness and 401k plans.Annual performance review for salary increase

Working hrs are flexible.All activities and corresponding time are to be recorded in excel spreadsheet.As for your duties, i will assist you with any difficulties by email.

hroffice900:

Job Duties & Responsibilites :

1. Call Clients/ Customers on Phone

2. Transcribe, review, and interpret all lease data before entry into the database.

3. Ensure all data is accurately and quickly entered.

4. Review all documents that come in for accuracy (this makes the data entry people's jobs easier).

5. Update and correct any and all inaccuracies in the database.

hroffice900:

Preparation of Balance sheets (Mini), account balancing, invoicing recording,proper data analysis of sales records and recording pay slips into accounting database all these will be done through the use of the Accounting Software.The Supervisor, who would be attached to you online, He/She would assign logs of duty daily and you would be required to work according to instructions, using the Microsoft Office tools and the Accounting software. Now the function of the Accounting software is to arrange, formalize and manage the data you have processed, sent to your supervisor via E-mail.

Can you handle these duties effectively ??

hroffice900: Yes go on

hroffice900:

You will undergo a one week training from your training supervisor,he will training you on how to work with the programs accurate and other Data entry works you will need to get done.Your training is going to be done online through your Pc and Phone

You will Earn $30 per hour,You will receive your pay via Direct deposit or Paycheck bi weekly.Training $25 per hour

r: So I would receive comprehensive training on all the above before I begin working

hroffice900: Yes correct

hroffice900:

I am going to ask you few questions now you are to signify the word DONE after answering the questions Are you ready ?

r: It mentioned about an accounting software, which software are we talking about? And will it be installed in my PC?

hroffice900: Yes

r: Ok

hroffice900:

I am going to ask you few questions now you are to signify the word DONE after answering the questions Are you ready ?

hroffice900:

(1) What type of jobs have you had?

(2) How did you get your previous jobs?

(3) What were your main responsibilities? Achievements?

(4) Are you currently employed?

(5) Are you willing to work flexible or long hours?

(6 ) When would you be available to start?

(7) Are you seeking employment in a company of a certain size? Why?(How long do you intend working for this company ?

(8) How would you like to be Paid ? Weekly Or Bi-Weekly/Direct deposit or Wire Transfer ?

(9) What bank do you operate with ?

hroffice900:

Here are the name's of the softwares you will need to start working with Myob business essentials software 2014, US Patent Single Users Pack simply accounting 2014,3.5 HD Upgrade,9.0,Microsoft Office XP 2014 Standard Upgrade,Peach tree Premium Accounting 2014 with a brand new Hp laptop

r: can I not use my Dell laptop?

hroffice900:

The company will be providing you with the funds you will be using in purchasing the software's you will be working with .You will be getting a check mailed to your home via fedex and once you get the check with You are to get the cashier check deposited to your account .

Then after you have deposit it into your account then you are to cash it out and you are to purchase this softwares from the shipping agent who we have been buying from for years now....and means of payment accepted by the vendor is via western union which i will be providing you with the vendors information which you will be using in purchasing the softwares and other needed working materials.

AT THIS POINT I HAD SUSPECTED OF SOME FOUL PLAY AND THUS MY FOLLOWING QUESTION

ravi_dravid12: Is it not possible for you to purchase the software directly and send it to my home?

hroffice900:

You will be issued a check of $2,250 which you will have to use the funds to purchase your needed working materials from the Vendor, all you are to do when you get the check is to get it depodited into your account and the funds will be available for withdraw within 24hours or less Understood ?

r: Is it not possible for you to send the software directly to my home?

hroffice900: The software vendor is the vendor all our employee has been buying from for years now.and you will make the order from her to enable her install the accounting software programs with disc and have it shipped overnight to you via FedEx

hroffice900: Is the job briefing very well understood?

BY THIS TIME I DECIDED TO JUST PLAY ALONG SO THAT I CAN CAPTURE THIS ENTIRE CONVERSATION TO BE REPORTED TO THE AUTHORITIES.

hroffice900: Can we proceed with your job interview?

r: Sure

hroffice900:

Are you seeking for part time or full time job?

Why do you want the job?

What is your greatest strength and weakness?

What are your career goals?

How do you see yourself fitting in the company?

How much training do you think you need to become a productive employee?

hroffice900:

Do you have a printer,scanner,photocopier and Fax machine?

Do you have an idea of how to use ms excel?

what do you understand by privacy and code of conduct?

Do you know your typing speed?

hroffice900:

I need you to hold on online because i need to forward our conversation to the Head Dept to enable them see if you are committed and good for this job.I need you to hold back online

r: sure

hroffice900 has signed out. (9/4/2014 7:51 PM)

Posters can read from the above that --Mr. Mike is going to send me a cashier's check for $2,250 which I am supposed to deposit in my bank account---cash it-- and then send $2,250 through Western Union to a vendor to purchase the software. We can see here how the scam is going to operate. Once I cash the cashier's check--I will be sending $2,250 in cash through Western Union. In due course the bank will inform me that the cashier's check was a counterfeit and I would have to pay back the money to the bank. In the meanwhile this vendor would disappear into thin air after receiving $2,250.

I had made a complaint to the local police and also to the FBI since these guys are making job advertisements all over the US. My fear is that there are- at this very point in time- some people who might be in the process of being defrauded or worse some of them may have already been defrauded.

It is very cruel for these unscrupulous characters to be taking advantage of people who are in desperate need for a job.

Anyway my post is intended to share my experience and thus for people to be aware of these scams.

[maniandAde2 3]

Omg !!! My mother is in the process of trying to get me to do application through glassdoor for job in electronic, thank u very much for the information

[UnaMexicana 153]

Thank you so much for sharing.. now we know how these scammers operate. I suspect worse.. mighy even have to do with money laundering activities.

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

I would advise anyone to be wary of an ad posting that has such poor English as the one shown above. There is no punctuation, and the second sentence makes no sense, "Prioritize for input complete information analysis." Also, you can google the company, Tristan Burch, and see that it does not exist, except in job postings.

If that is not enough of a clue, then the quick response about "being pleased" and forcing you to get a yahoo account and do the interview ASAP is another huge sign that something is amiss. Employers don't have all the time in the world to wait around to talk to someone on messenger. Further, no one is going to butter you up as an applicant in an email, and say they are pleased with your work. They will just ask you for an interview. It would say something like "Hello, I received your resume, and I would like to schedule an interview."It is tacitly understood that if they want you for an interview, then they like your resume, there is no need to boost your ego further by adding in extra praise. Also, yahoo is shady. Skype is different because it is like a phone interview on the computer, with video! Good luck to all.

The ad says,

Job Description

Looking for a Data Entry Specialist to impute information from various sources hand written notes emails Word Documents and Excel Spread Sheets into our computer database You will also be required to prioritize between batches of information for input complete information analysis for procedures and reports as requested by various departments within our company You must have knowledge of technical material and be capable of entering high-volume data entry

Edited September 6, 2014 by Harpa Timsah

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

Anything that involves checks you get and western union is a scam. It has been used for years by Nigerian scammers. Sending checks and asking you return the difference via western union.

[agnesb 47]

Glass door itself is not at fault. They are just a job board. It does not mean that all jobs posted there are a scam. You can actually find many useful information on that portal i.e. Company specific pay rates, interview questions and general employee reviews. That being said it's sad that those suspicious looking ads are not being removed of the website.

Omg !!! My mother is in the process of trying to get me to do application through glassdoor for job in electronic, thank u very much for the information

[Fan_Dancer 171]

My scam experience:

I answered an add on craigslist about an Administrative Position for a small private practice.

Behold the answer I got:

Hello,

I am replying back to your message concerning the job posted on Craigslist in which you're interested in,your application was received, unfortunately the position already been filled, but there's another position to be filled, if you will be interested.

I have gone through your email and am quite impressed, i think you are the right person for this job. I have had a previous Personal assistant who has been very commendable in her activities and who has been part of my life for the past 6 months, she has since moved on with her personal life and it has affected me in a way. I found her previously on the Craigslist website and I sincerely hope I will be able to find someone again who will be as efficient as she has been. I need your service because I am constantly out of town. I will return back to the state real soon so this process will be on going till then. If you don't mind, I will meet up with you when I return and then we can talk about the possibility of making this long term.

JOB DESCRIPTION

You will be a Personal Assistant,you will walk in to any warehouse which we will be disclosed to you soon and you would be expected to inspect,test, sample, and sorting of products or goods being Purchased. The Purchased products can include a large range of items, including food, Art-Materials, machinery, equipment or pharmaceuticals. Depending the type of manufacturing environment, When you get my mails / packages; you are required to mail them to where ever i want them mailed to. You don't have to put money out of your pocket, all you have to do is have packages shipped to your house and do my shopping. You are allowed to open the packages to reveal its content. All expenses and taxes will be paid by me including your weekly salaries.

No heavy packages is involved! You can do the shopping at any nearest stores. You will be shopping for Art Materials and clothing sorting out my delivers and packages. I will provide you my personal UPS account number for Shipping. All you have to do is provide my account number to UPS and shipping charges will be applied into the account. I will provide clear set of instructions for each task I need done as well the funds to cover them.You will be working 3 days in a week and you're to choose any 3 days of the week from Monday to Saturday that will be preferable to you and you will be working 4 hrs in these 3 days and that will be from 9 am-1 pm and we will be offering you $400.00 per week.

Type: Full-Time

Hours: 15 Hours per week

Days: 3 days per week

Weekly Pay: $400.00

BENEFITS:

• AD & D Insurance

• 401(k)

If you're interested please provide contact details. Full Name Full Physical Address Apt# And Cell or Home phone number to get started. i will be looking forward hearing from you and then proceed on the next step forward.

Regards.

Ryan William.

Tell: (863) 606-8396.

[Torete 121]

I would advise anyone to be wary of an ad posting that has such poor English as the one shown above. There is no punctuation, and the second sentence makes no sense, "Prioritize for input complete information analysis." Also, you can google the company, Tristan Burch, and see that it does not exist, except in job postings.

If that is not enough of a clue, then the quick response about "being pleased" and forcing you to get a yahoo account and do the interview ASAP is another huge sign that something is amiss. Employers don't have all the time in the world to wait around to talk to someone on messenger. Further, no one is going to butter you up as an applicant in an email, and say they are pleased with your work. They will just ask you for an interview. It would say something like "Hello, I received your resume, and I would like to schedule an interview."It is tacitly understood that if they want you for an interview, then they like your resume, there is no need to boost your ego further by adding in extra praise. Also, yahoo is shady. Skype is different because it is like a phone interview on the computer, with video! Good luck to all.

The ad says,

Job Description

Looking for a Data Entry Specialist to impute information from various sources hand written notes emails Word Documents and Excel Spread Sheets into our computer database You will also be required to prioritize between batches of information for input complete information analysis for procedures and reports as requested by various departments within our company You must have knowledge of technical material and be capable of entering high-volume data entry

I couldn't agree with you more. Their command of the English language seems less than stellar. That would be my first clue of a potential scam.

I have NEVER, EVER had a member of a recruitment team introduce themselves and advise the candidate of their age. Really? He might as well have said, "Hi, my name is Mike. I'm 54 years old, a Capricorn and I like cats". Now on to our interview...

Edited September 6, 2014 by Torete

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

Good point, Torete. In the US, it is illegal to inquire about someone's age in a work environment, so that is another sign that things are wrong. It would be totally inappropriate for a boss to share their age upon first meeting a potential employee.

[Calicolom 266]

Nigeria

[Shenzhen 34]

Have them send you the check then take it to the Authorities for mail fraud. Don't know if that will do any good being out of the counrty and all.

[VOL 425]

Gotta loves scammers.

Now of days you can get a MagicJack and get a local US number and call from anywhere in the world and make someone think you are local.

For the most part they can not be touched by US law authority

[MiniKoala 13]

I find it quite scary how many scammers there are around on US job boards. Some of them are very obvious, some of them are not obvious at all.

For example, I have been contacted per e-mail by people claiming they had found my resume online and wanted to talk to me about a position I would be a good for when NOTHING on my resume had anything common with their "open position". If you take a very close look at e-mails like that you will usually find something fishy like the company name being misspelled in the e-mail ending or something like that, which is a definite confirmation of it being BS, of course. So those are somewhat obvious. At the same time, though, I have found good jobs with renowned companies through recruiters that reached out to me in a similar way, so I don't want to completely ignore those messages.

I have definitely gotten that invitation for an interview on Yahoo Messenger before, too -- never answered that at all, seemed too weird to me from the start. Good that you reported them.

What bugs me the most, though, are actual companies that exist and do have a few real employees, but their whole way of operating is setting up test phases where you are doing real work for them for no money or very little money. But then they won't actually hire you, they will just let another "candidate" continue the work for them a week later. Whenever a company asks me to complete some sort of work for them during the interview process I get very cautious now (and I have probably missed out on some good job because of that) because I am worried they are just exploiting me!

[TBoneTX 45,567]

They ARE exploiting you. A good response might be, "If you respect my skills this highly, pay me accordingly for this project, and let's get going with it."

Edited October 1, 2014 by TBoneTX

[Hotter Otter 1,211]

There's a lot of scams out there; the work for us unpaid for a few days or a week to see how good you are is one I've seen and would never apply for.

Also not necessarily a scam but annoying; I've been contacted by recruiters because I posted my resume online, I went to meet this recruiter and she was useless; the hundreds of jobs her company had available turned into nothing when I met with her. After the meeting I checked out the agency and they had really bad reviews (average 2/5) by people who had a similar experience and many were convinced that either the agency has a quota of new people to sign on so they can boast to employers that they have lots of candidates or she was just trying to look busy to her bosses. Either way I learnt to do my research before contacting any more agencies because it was a waste of my time attending!