Same Scam.. New Look

[Melissa]

Im sure by now we are all familiar with the email scams based out of Africa, stating that the king/queen of where ever has money they cant cash and needs YOU to help them by cashing a check and keeping some money and giving sending them the difference.

WELL! This is the same thing but with a twist. I found an ad for a Personal Assistant on Craigslist. I have applied to several before and actually had interviews come from them. So I applied for this one that I saw. I sent my resume and got an answer back within 10 minutes with an application. There was nothing on the application that wasnt already on my resume. It did NOT ask for my social or bank info. I felt it was fishy but in a maybe this guy is a nut fishy. But since he already had my resume I figured if I get an interview Ill have dad go with and if he is a nut we will leave and report him.

Instead, I get an email this morning saying I got the job..with no interview.. and he needs me to start work RIGHT AWAY! to test my abilities and efficiency. It stated to buy office supplies for the office.. about 4 times in the same 3 sentences. And then it said a client will send a check and to use that check to take out my weekly pay of $500 and send the rest to the manager to make sure he gets his office supplies delivered.

I am over there thinking he may be some sex nit I have to worry about having my resume and it ended up being a moneymail scam.

Im going to stop by the police station to see if they want me to continue and get the information for them to search for this person.

So I know times are tough and there are a bunch of people out there looking for jobs and pretty much looking for what ever they can get. So be careful out there while looking because its not your basic job scam where they make you buy into the company and you dont see return on your investments..

 

[Cinder and Me]

Wow, that's the weirdest one I've heard of yet. What did the police say?

 

[Melissa]

I never went. I had too many things going on and got too busy to go... I do intend on following up tho. I never got another email back.

 

[Nancy]

Did this ad have a legitimate business name and physical street, city address that you verified before answering? If not, there is no way in H*** that I would send my resume to just an email address.

 

[Spoof]

Did this ad have a legitimate business name and physical street, city address that you verified before answering? If not, there is no way in H*** that I would send my resume to just an email address.

If you want a job, you send them. This seems to be a trend with tech jobs, less than half the companies I applied to gave details for one reason or another. Wether they be in the newspaper, FOR the newspaper (that one was ironic) or via some other digital means. I did run into this scam twice and I followed up to get their email banned and send the info to craigslist.

I follow a couple rules when I apply online and they do not give information - one is I only give my email and cell number. I never give a physical address - if they can't give me theirs, I won't give them mine. In my experience if it's a real company and they like your resume they'll call. I also watch the emails, if it's first/last name at yahoo.com it's almost always bogus.

Good luck in the job hunt!