In the last couple of weeks, I have been reading a lot about scams. The most recent one to pop up (again) is a check cashing scam.
The 'company' posts ads in classifieds (online and print), CraigsList, work / job forums (particularly work at home), etc., about accounting / book keeping jobs.
The job is to cash checks that they send to you, keep your cut, and then print a new check for one of their 'vendors' or 'employees'.
The technical term for this is Money Laundering. It is against the law and if you participate, you could face jail time.
Once hired (everyone whom contacts them is hired), they tell you to go buy a new computer, sometimes printers, desks, and other costly items, and that they will reimburse you for these items. If you actually receive a check, it will always either bounce, or have a 'stop payment' on it.
If you see these type of 'jobs' posted, click the report or abuse button, so the web site knows about and can remove them.
Some legitimate companies will want you to have the latest computers and office equipment, and will provide them for you. They will have a relationship with a vendor, and will have any necessary items sent to you (at their cost, not yours).
Be careful out there - and remember - NEVER pay any money for a job. If they are asking you for money (or for you to buy expensive items), it is a SCAM.
Wishing you success,
Wendy
It seems obvious to me, when I look at a scam I can tell right away but they must work and people must sign up because there are still a lot of scams out there.
ReplyDeleteI just found out about this firsthand. I had been trolling telecommuterjobs.net which is a RSS scrape of craigslist.org for the keyword: "telecommute". If the craigslist ad had the word telecommute in it, it would get posted to this website.
ReplyDeleteI answered an ad for a personal assistant. The scammers' name is Andy Mark. He claims to be an auditor. It took 4 emails before he "chose" me to be his personal assistant.
His first assignment for me was to cash a check, keep $300 out of it, and send the rest to a "family doctor" in Nebraska via Western Union. The check was sent via FedEx and I fell for it. I called the company issuing the check - Biola University - and they told me that the check was forged.
Andy was adamant about me cashing that check! He called me three times the day I received the check and wanted to know when he could expect to receive the Western Union receipt number.
The very next day, I received another FedEx envelope, with a check from another company. It gets stranger - the envelope was from a gentleman who used to work for the University of S. Carolina. However, the check itself was from a textile machine manufacturer. I called the University and they directed me to their HR department and I found out that the name that the check was sent from was the name of someone that had been terminated over two months ago.
I then called the textile manufacturer, and he said that I was the second person to call him and ask him about his accounts payable.
Once again, if you see an email from some P.of.S. named 'Andy Mark' DO NOT GET INVOLVED.
If it had not been for an unexpected visit from my Mom - her bat-sense seems to be far more acute than mine; I am sure that I would have ended up in jail.
Thank you for the comments. I am sorry to hear that happened to you, Mark. Glad you got out when you did - and didn't get into any trouble.
ReplyDeleteWishing you success,
Wendy
HI Wendy,
ReplyDeleteGood information that you have given your readers here. I think it's despicable what some people will do to try to make money, they have no intention of at least trying to make money by getting a legit job.No thoughts of maybe trying something legit online. I guess that never enters their mind,hence we get these people hurting other people who ARE trying to make money the right way.Great info. & warnings! jj
Hi JJ,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you! The scammers are despicable! Those of us that are trying to make an honest living really need to keep our eyes open.
Thank you for the comment,
Wendy
This is a good one. I discovered ads were placed on craigslist under my company name. Of course the jobs were fake. They were really check cashing scams. I applied for a job, got hired through email right away. Then they sent me an email saying they wanted me to cash a check and send them three money orders over night. I called the bank the check was drawn on and the check was legit. That means I would cash the check, send the money orders, and probably find out the account was closed days later. This is a new hitch. The check was actually good!
ReplyDeleteScary that the checks are good! Glad you called the bank, first!
ReplyDeleteWendy
Hi Wendy, I have been contacted by 2 companies to date that required the same services. They had companies in the UK that had established a fast past customer service system in which they would send products and customers would send payments. They both stated that the customer would be sending me there payment and that I would need to cash the check take out my commission and send the rest back thru western union. The first companies check I received and actually fell for and deposited it in my account. It bounced and was returned. Now this second company has a more legit story and says they will send contracts and info stating that this is legal thru US and UK international laws. What should I do?
ReplyDeleteHi Matthew,
ReplyDeleteI think you should stay away from the contracts job. It sounds like another variation of the scam. If you get involved, you could be convicted of a felony and serve jail time. Not good.
Run!
Best of luck to you,
Wendy