It's a Scam: The Tricks of Fraudulent Job Postings!

I have been scouring the Internet in search of legitmate work from home opportunities that did not ask for money up front, for me to sell something or for me to throw some sort of merchandise party. In this ongoing search, I recently stumbled upon a couple of postings that proved to be malicious scams. I have to say that they were very cleverly disquised to make it seem like the position was working for a bank or financial insitution or a company that sold luxury merchandise. The scammers think if they make the position appear mysterious and luxurious people will be more attracted to the job. The descriptions of the job duties and companies are usually vague. When searching for a job online, you really have to read the fine print even if it means reading between the lines. Always ask yourself questions about the position and requirements. It should not be required that you send them money or give them any personel information until it is certain that the company is legitimate and you have been hired. There should always be contact information and a live person to communicate with regarding the position. It should always be posible to get information on the company, checking with the Better Business Bureau is a great place to start. The two scams I ran across claimed to need my banking information in order for me to work for them. The position required that I accept payments from customers into my bank account, take out my commission and then forward the rest to their respresentative. I played along at first but when it came down to providing my bank account information, I asked for information on the company. Since then, I haven't heard from either contact . It's a scary thing. You really don't know who is on the other side of the posting. Trust your instincts, ask questions, learn about the company and contact someone before giving out any of your personal information.
I have provided some excerpts below of the job postings and email responses that I received regarding these scam positions:
Job Posting #1:
***Job title : ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT - VIRTUAL OFFICELOTUS
Description: Lotus an international luxury goods company, is currently seeking virtual assistants to work at the convenience of their home, part-time. Lotus presents the best off-season luxury finds from the most prestigious international designers and collectibles from the rarest collections at irresistible prices. Candidates for the job should possess excellent organizational skills as well as the ability to efficiently multi-task. Ideal candidates have a strong focus on day-to-day operational excellence, and a personal style that builds trust, and inspires loyalty. The candidate should be motivated, proactive, be able to learn and adapt quickly.
Other duties of the Virtual Assistant include, but are not limited to:
• Incorporating effective priorities for the virtual office function
• Administer day-to-day financial responsibilities for clients
• Reporting online daily
• Preparing brief summary reports, and weekly financial reports
Salary part-time $1, 200/month, plus commission. Send resume to: click on "Apply now"The response email to my inquiry was as follows:
Dear Rebecca Morris,
We have reviewed your resume and would like to consider you for the position of administrative assistant/sales support within Lotus. In the attachments you will find the agreement with a detailed job description. If you are interested in this trial period, which will last for one month, during which you will receive training, salary, and commission, please see the attached agreement. Upon successful completion of the trial period you may receive a contract and continue working with Lotus, change from part-time to full-time or continue working part-time. Please read carefully the trial period agreement, complete it and forward back to us either via email. If you have any questions email us.
Thank You,
Kate Evans****Attachments provided with this email included:
Payment Methods and Salary AgreementIn order to receive payments from clients and your salary please provide with account information:
Account Holder's Name:
Name of Account (if business account):
Name of the Bank:
Address of the Bank (address, city, state, zip):
Account Number:
Routing Number:
Swift Code(if applicable/optional):
The Company will not reveal your details; and will only remit agreed funds to the account at the times and dates specified prior each transaction. The Employee will not attempt to use any of the Company funds - other than those that are deposited in relation to the employment as agreed remuneration, and commissions.Payment Methods
Please type in X to indicate which payment methods you will accept. You will be keeping 5% from every transfer received. By accepting all or most payment options you are increasing the amount of payments you will receive, thus your commission.Payment Methods/Accept Decline
Checks (certified, cashier's, money orders)
Wire Transfers
Western Union & MoneyGram
PayPalPersonal Information
First Name:
Last Name:
Date of Birth:
Address:
City:
State:
Zip:
Residential Phone:
Cell Phone:
The employee, ____________________________, acknowledged the Payment Methods and Salary Agreement.
Name and Last Name of Employee and signed ___________________________on this _______ day of ________, 2007.
Employee's Signature date month
Commencement Date:
Salary
"During the trial period, you will be paid 1,200USD per month while working on average 3 hours per day, Monday-Friday, plus 5% commission from every payment received and forwarded. The salary will be sent in the form of wire transfer directly to your account. After the trial period your base pay salary will go up to 1,700USD per month, plus 5% commission."
Job Posting #2: Response to my email inquiry
****The second scam position I got a response for was quite similar to the one above:Hello,
Thanks for your response... we need a representative that would be closer to where our major clients are located. We sell electronics and other consumer goods... You can check our mini for details about our products (http://wisdom211.en.ec21.com). Well, we have stores in Seattle, WA. and West Jordan, Utah. We sell these products mostly here in US. Our customers need to pay over a secure means and to them the best form is paying via Money order and bill payment issue from their banks. YOUR WORK: Receiving all payments in the aboved forms on our behalf from our customers located in your particular region. When you receive the payment... You are to process it, deduct your salary and remit the balance our supplier when we need you to or directly to the company on further directives. *(Note that you will need a checking bank account to execute the cashing of the payments.)
WHAT IS YOUR INTEREST: You will get $120 for transactions below $3k and $150 for payments above that $3k and 9% for payment above $4k from the entire sum of every payment received by you on our behalf and other stuffs like health allowance when the time comes. Taxes and all other charges during cashing will be deducted from the balance after you've gotten your pay. If you are interested, respond immediately by sending your personal information: What is your preferred mode of communication Phone/e-mail so that our clients will start making payments to you as the company's representative
Mack,
Wisdom sales
206-350-1820This one did provide a website but looking at the figures, they are obviously exagerated to make you think you'll make lots of money working for them. I also called the number listed above and it is a nonactive number.
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I have to admit that both appeared to be legitimate opportunities for employment at first glimpse. I had to ask myself some questions:
*Why would a corporate company need my bank information to complete financial transactions?
*Is there a website and company information?
*Can I contact someone over the phone and inquire about the position and company?
*Where is their corporate office located?
*What is my gut feeling about this opportunity?
After pondering these questions and emailing for more information, my questions were answered with no response from the contact person listed in the company email. These scammers don't want to deal with people who are smart and want information. They want the easy targets who hand over their personal information with no questions asked!!Both of these positions were listed on various job search websites such as: hotjobs.com, virtualvocations.com, simplyhired.com, fashionjobs.com, careerjet.com, jobster.com, craigslist.com, indeed.com, homejobstop.com and genuinejobs.com. It is very easy to sign up on a website and post a job, especially on craigslist. Honestly, these sites all receive multiple listings daily and surely don't have the time to screen each posting. So it is up to the job seeker to do their research, follow their instincts and use common sense when applying for any job listed online.