A year or two ago I saw an ad for a financial based work at home opportunity that sounded very promising. The opportunity was free and listed specific requirements and had a very professional looking website. All these are usually signs of a valid work at home job. The "job" was to accept checks on behalf of international clients who for some reason weren't able to cash these checks in their location. In return I would be provided a portion of the check like a check cashing fee. At first glance this just didn't seem to make sense to me.
But I guess because I was so desperate to find a work at home opportunity I decided to visit their website for more details. I was very impressed on how professional looking the website was and they even had documentation showing that they were part of some consumer protection agency and some other official agencies. So as a result of this I decided to bite. They asked me to fill out some paperwork on their website and then I had to fax my driver's license to the company for verification purposes.
This all sounded very legitimate to me at this point. But still something nagged me about it all. So I sent an email letting these guys know that I run a very big work at home website and that if this was legitimate I would be happy to share the information with others. I think that may have been my saving grace. After I faxed over my information and sent my email. I never heard back from the company. That lead me to believe something must be wrong.
But a few weeks passed and the experience was forgotten. I come home one day and there was a message from my local police department asking me to come in. Needless to say I was terrified.
I'm a black male so I have a natural distrust of police because of my own experiences as a youth of being unfairly targeted and searched on numerous occasions. But I knew I didn't do anything wrong so I called the detective back and he asked if I would come to the precinct. So despite my innocence I was still very nervous so I decided to bring my wife to calm my nerves.
The detective was very friendly and nice. He asked if I ever heard of said company (I don't remember the name of it because of my "mad cow" affliction. lol) And I said yes, I do. I explained that I found them online and had applied to work from them but never heard back from them when I mentioned I ran a major work at home website. The detective explained to me that they and several law enforcement agencies all across the country had been investigating this company and had raided their offices recently. Apparently the opportunity was a big scam and they must have received a lot of complaints about this fraud opportunity which lead to this massive investigation. I asked the detective how he knew to contact me. He said they had found my faxed driver's license and many others. So they were all contacting the various victims to piece together any other missing information or people that may have been part of the scam. Needless to say I was very happy that they told me about this.
Fortunately for me I never received any checks to cash for this company so I wasn't in any trouble with the cops or my bank. But it was a great learning experience for me. If I followed the steps listed in my scam section, I probably would've avoided this whole ordeal. Fortunately for me I lost nothing. But thousands aren't as fortunate. Many end up being in serious trouble with their banks where they have to pay back large amounts of money and some have also had their identity stolen. I was very lucky to say the least.
Fake checks and wire scams must be a huge problem because apparently some people have taken noticed and created the website FakeChecks.org. I came across this scam prevention website on some commercials here in New York. They really cover how this scam works, what you can do and also provide some other insight on other scams. So please be sure to check out FakeChecks.org
They have some great content and videos. You can actually see some of the commercials there. Watching the commercials really brings home how the internet can distort common sense real world judgment.
FakeChecks.org is a must in your scam prevention tactics.
As I read some of the comments it is so sad to see how we can’t trust most job and if a job is legit you have to wonder.. I say this last week I got 2 calls from 2 different people offering me jobs that I had signed up for amazon.com first thing that assured me this was a scam I nevered signed up with Amazon, so I listened and played the game in the end which both of them said it would be $99.00 the first lady I told is I need a job that means I don’t have money so why should I pay you for a job, she hung up quick.. The second time when this one mentioned $99.00 I made sure she feel the slam of my phone in her face.. haven’t heard from any one again, but I get the impression some one will try again.. Yes amazon is hiring but you go to their site and no where will you see a fee to work for them.. A lot of time these scammers make good companies look bad for using their name, but if you signed up and not sure call them first.
I also like when got laid of my job after 29 years was desperate for a job got scammed with one of those check for 1,436.00 did the western union trick.. Thank God the other 950.00 they wanted a western union on my bank said I had exceeded my limit for that day.. They tried to get me to go to the bank and withdraw I told them no it was raining and the bank was far..
As Eddy has advised me I gave a summary on this before we must not feel afraid to accept jobs but make sure as I am saying also do your own FBI investigation.. It may take some time but it is worth it in the long run.. They post on Indeed.com, Glassdoor.com, snagajob and even Career builder which career builder has caught a few!!
In this day and time we just have to be careful.
Thanks for sharing Debra,
When it comes to the work at home industry there are definitely far more scams than there are legitimate opportunities which was why this site was born. And job seekers have to do their research using various resources like my scam video and other ways.
It’s better to air on the side of caution. But it must be done without being totally jade or paralyzed by fear of trying anything. My experience with searching for work at home jobs is probably what steered me into starting my own online business instead. I didn’t like dealing with all the scams, I didn’t like the rejection of employers or hoping and waiting for them to contact me. And I definitely didn’t like the idea of being paid less than what I thought I was worth and having my hours dictated to me. So I dodged that bullet.
Everyone has to find their own path when it comes to making money online. But a work at home job definitely wasn’t the right path for me because of nonsense like you described and the others I mentioned.
Thank you for the information. It’s go to know there are people like you out there striving to help us protect ourselves as much as we can. If know one has said it to you lately, THANK YOU so much I do appreciate your help. Please keep up the good work!!!
You’re very welcome Annette! I really appreciate the thank you and kind words. It’s nice to see that there are still people out there that know how to say Thank you. 😉
Thank you Annette I am not ashamed if anything I feel great to share so that others will be aware.. No one has money to give to the cyber crooks.. I am not afraid to accept jobs online in fact I do 2 telephone jobs helping some others with their business they never asked me for anything and I have been paid by them I have my money sent to Paypal to be protected.. If they don’t have Paypal I have no shame in asking them can they get it..
am even to the point of going down my checklist to see where they actually coming from..
Learned my lesson.. If anyone ask me to join their business or start my own I ask them is their a fee up front if they say yes I say no thanks.. Let’s start the business and when I see me making money I will know it is legit and then I will only pay maybe a one time fee not a monthly fee. Why monthly when it is now my business and I have to recruit to build it..
Hey Debra,
Thanks for chiming in. But let’s not confuse a job vs a business because there is a big difference. With a job you shouldn’t have to cough up any money upfront.
However with a business you will probably have to invest in your business and thus self. This could be a one time fee, monthly fee or combination of both. Any successful business owner will tell you that they had to invest money in their business way before they ever saw their first dime. You spend many unpaid hours before your fruits of labor pay off. And obviously not many people aren’t built for that. Because they have immediate bills they may need to pay or they just lack the delayed gratification and patience necessary to see a business through.
And that’s fine. Not everyone was meant to be a business owner and why so many people are employees. So I just wanted to clarify that. Obviously you were meant to be an employee and that’s great. Thanks for chiming in as always.
Hello Eddy, I am currently working for a company named Mail Plus llc. They have a website under this name and everything seemed to be ligit, They performed background checks, lengthy application and contract. Very detailed and personal communication at first. Now I have not yet received a check deposit, they do have bank info that was done on a direct deposit form. They claim to offer 2 week paid vac. pd sick days, health ins. and it was a lengthy process to get started with them.I had other people check them out and even a friend who works for fed ex, they all seem to think it is legit. this week i have experienced server crash messages from website and no activity from them on my administration page which they set up for me to log into before i started. I am a local Pastor and devoted Man of God and in no way would I ever get involved with something remotely questionable, let alone criminal. All of my shipments and tracking is verified thru USPS and I have saved all receipts as well as physical and online files as well as admin conversations per company website. I am due to receive my first deposit pay on Mar. 23. Do you have info or experience with this co. and would they literally go to all this trouble to cheat someone. The website is all about e-commerce and shows legitimate llc. with operations since 1996. I have had no contact since i have asked some direct questions and my admin page has no activity this week at all. No return of my messages or calls. Help!!! They recruited from Snagajob and all the opportunities i have received from them were reputable.
Hi, You didn’t provide details on what this company allegedly hired you to do. I’m gathering they were sending packages to you that you were suppose to reship elsewhere? If that’s the case, this a big scam and described in great detail here: https://www.workathomenoscams.com/2008/10/07/package-forwarding-reshipping-job-or-scam/ and what you need to do.
Many time these scam artist will go through a very elaborate process to make you feel it’s legit. But it’s a scam. They’ll have nice websites, use other real company’s names, etc. But once you hear the job involves shipping packages you know it’s a scam.
Unfortunately it sounds like you fell for one. I would get some identity protection service asap. Because they have probably stolen your identity as well and selling it on the black market. So at least with some identity protection you’ll be notified of any credit being opened in your name.
Dear,
Its a scam. They are fraud. I have the same experience like you. I did the same job like you but I realized before I loose anything.
Anyway, Just forget about this. Keep all the records and invoices just as a record in case if you face any problem. Never involve with this kind of job in future.
Hi Eddy, I am currently working for a company called Intforwarding shipping and receiving merchandise. I have been very careful to keep receipts and copy everything that crosses my hands to cover myself should something go wrong. I search online everyday to see if this company is part of a scam, but I have yet to find anything; however, I’m constantly worried about it everyday. I have made it known to the company that I do not want to be involved in any scams or illegal activity and they called me to ensure I wasn’t being scammed. I haven’t given any information about my bank account and in fact they have sent me money Western Union to ship packages, but I still want to be careful. Any advice or information about Intforwarding that can put my mind at ease?
As I’ve said many times in this article in the comments. If what you’re doing sounds like we’ve described above, it’s a scam and you should stop. There isn’t much more to it.
I answered an ad for a marketing at home job with Global Marketing Alliances based out of UK with many US workers. I gave them a resume and contact information. I got hired and was told I would be making $725 every 2 wks plus 8% of all assignments completed. Their website and All documents appeared to be legit even the tax and direct deposit form for my pay.
I have completed work for Global Marketing Alliances through a woman named Michelle Longley in HR acting as a hiring manager. I do not know what happened to her…All of a sudden she stopped emailing me, giving me assignments and calling. I have made numerous attempts to contact her but her contact information is all disconnected and the emails are bounced back. I have sent numerous messages on the HR portal but they never got answered. Now I am unable to log into the HR portal and my registration is deleted.
Michelle signed me up with GMA and I received a phone call from headquarters then a contract was sent to me stating compensation amounts and working conditions.
Money in amounts of 4-9K were wired into my bank account. These monies were verified by my bank and I was cleared to withdraw. My assignments included me wiring monies to clients in Kiev which I did. I was told that the wired money were credits from book royalties and overpayments. I was then told that my compensation would be mailed. I waited for 3 weeks then she told me that there was a mail problem so my pay will be wired into my bank account. To this day, I have not received anything. It has been over a month.
I wanted to to continue my working relationship with Global Marketing but have no other contacts. Part of me feels like I have been used. I have been very honest and am willing to work. I have been trusted with very large amounts of money. I completed each task honestly and never kept any money even after I was promised compensation. I would like to know where do I go from here? I have tried to contact headquarters via phone and email but there has been no response. My bank is not giving me trouble but I think since this woman has disappeared and I have never received any pay for completing the tasks that something is up and now im more concerned about how legit this really was. Has anyone heard of this? Any advice?
Hi Siroda,
Thanks for sharing the great advice! It’s nice to hear from someone in the banking industry that can shed further light on to this annoying scam.
Thanks again!
I worked for 5 years as a banker/teller at one of the largest banks in the U.S. and I can’t believe how many people fall for this scam. If it’s not under the guise of a WAH opportunity, it was from some lottery scam. The “lottery winnings” (usually from Canada) scam always irritated me the most because most of the customers would admit they never had played the lottery to begin with! Let alone in Cananda. Same goes for Reader’s Digest scams. Always someone offering to send a check so that you can cash it and send the money back.
For people asking what they should do with a check they have received, but not cashed, just shred it. You won’t get in trouble just for having the check, and that’s all I would do when people brought the checks to me. If you’re worried about what information you’ve sent to the “company,” you may want to contact your local police department. If you’ve already deposited and/or cashed the check, but haven’t spent or sent the money, take the money back to your bank and let them know that you’ve been scammed. Hopefully, they’ll be understanding and at the very least only charge you for the returned check. Though it may be hard to work through the fact that such a large dollar amount came back against your account, you’re in a better position if you aren’t in the hole (negative in your account). If you’ve negotiated the check and have already spent or sent the money, let your bank know IMMEDIATELY! But to be honest, there may not be a whole lot they can do. At the end of the day, the bank doesn’t want to be out money and they may hold it against you since when you endorse the back of any check, you are essentially taking responsibility for the collection of it.
I definitely recommend keeping any type of paperwork or communication that comes with the check. When customers brought the letters that came with their “winnings” or whatever, I almost always knew that it was a scam. I hated being the bearer of bad news but I’ll never forget the girl who’s mother fell victim to the scam, gave the daughter the check to cash and now it’s on record that the daughter owes the bank in excess of $3k. Don’t let that person be you! And even though banks can put extended holds on checks, that may not always catch it. I had a check on hold for 5 business days, the customer came in for the money and on the 6th business day, the check came back bad! Just be careful folks, this article is good information!
You better contact your bank ASAP!
i have fallen for the scam today i received a cashiers check for 9000 and i cashed it if it comes back no good will i have to pay it back im so scared
Just contact your bank and/or destroy the checks. As long as you didn’t cash them or wire money, you’re fine.
I would like to say that I believe I have fallen for this scam I recieved the first check that I was suppose to cash and wire money to 2 diffrent people in China 3,500 dollars to be exact I have not done anyhting with this cashiers check for 7,700 dollars Please help what do I do with this check I don’t want to be in any trouble.
Thanks for letting me know ya’ll. Over the past few days after thinking about it all and looking into them more nothing to be found on them except for from Feb of this year on I decided to contact them and tell them no thanks. The people who contacted me was a lady named Gayle Pittman, as well as a lady by the name or alleged name of Augusta Kirkland and the company was PalMana Estates, they claimed they had a Customer Service Job paying at $17.00 an hour. Really? I’ve done CS work for over 23+ years I’ve never been lucky enough to find a CS job that pays that good, especially working from home. Didn’t make sense, they said i’d be doing more involved work with them for International trade with Europe and Asia No thank you. They wanted me to open an account with Wells Fargo or some other one and any of my pay and bonuses etc would be going into that account. They said my bank a Credit Union wouldn’t work with them Praise God, but I’m just glad it’s all done with and you may wanna get the name of this company out there Eddy. Thanks again ya’ll, you’re all great.
Karen, Thank goodness you used your common sense. When more folks do that it will be a lot harder for these con artists to thrive. Thanks for sharing the information. You probably just helped someone else avoid this assuming they think to do their research!
@0ef756cd61d979e1d9600f9b554fc705:disqus The bank I belong to is doing an investigation on Palmana Estate Limited because I just got a message from them saying they deposit some money into my account. I felt that I had to let the bank know whats going on and what the job required me to do. So the bank will be looking into this company to find out if it is a scam or not.
Do you know if this company is a scam or not? They did ask me if I’d be willing to open an account and transfer money, but my son in law said it seems they came out of nowhere and they “hired” me but I’m starting to get nervous and would like to find out before I start training.
It’s called PalMana Estates
http://www.palmanaest.com/
Thank you
Did you read the article above? Anything involving cashing or wiring money from strangers as part of a job is to be avoided. It doesn’t matter what the name of the company is.
hi i rrecived a check 3 days ago i send it back i dint want it is that bad to send it back
Like many people here I answered a craigslist add, thinking it was going to be doing data reporting. I received an e-mail from a James Gibson, saying a huge check is in on its way. I am to put it into my account, take so much out for personal expenses, then transfer the rest to some address in Turkey.
I have the check and I know it’s a scam. I am just unsure what to do with the check. Do I just throw it away? Or do I go and talk to someone at the bank?
Totally turn them in!!!! Don’t end up in Jail over a couple grand
Always follow your instincts when it comes to this industry. It will protect you from harm as it did in this situation.
ive had something similar like that happen to me, i just didnt cash the check. they wanted me to send the money over seas, and im like thats a no go. i wanted so badly to cash that money, but m glad i didnt
there was a company called educate america…sounded great. type articles relating to a certain topic like women and politics or health issues etc…they claimed to be nonprofit…they then sent two money orders saying to deduct what they would have paid me, $125 per page, and wire the rest to China. Are you kidding me? I didn’t. I should have killed all contact with them but I was so excited about getting a work at home job that I worked my butt off doing research for a company that was fraudulent so EDUCATE AMERICA is a fraudulent work at home scam offering to pay with money orders, which are fake because I called the actual bank, and asking you to wire money to China….and the kicker, cash it at your bank!
Thanks for the heads up on this one. This is even knew to me.
Hello I had a question there a person by the name of gina kadah that wants me to pay bills for her i googled her and she is a real state agent i got a cheak today but im scared to cash it cause i dont know if is fake what do u think i should do?
I think you should read the article above. We’ve already made it clear you should cash checks or money orders from strangers unless you want to get in trouble with your bank.
hey i got on my local town craigslist and found an personal assistant job, the guy took my resume and asked questions online but never called me or anything (first clue that something was wrong) that was friday of last week. today i received a check in the mail for 2730.00 from s.c and i called the bank to verify it and the lady says the account has been closed for more than a year! lol nice! i am soo glad i read your story before i decided to cash this and call the bank to verify it!!! THANK YOU !!!!
You’re so welcome! I’m glad you thought enough to do your research. If more people did what you did, it would be so much harder for these scammers to make a living.
I applied for work at home position here:
http://www.thebroadbandfactory.net/opening.htm
I sent my resume and someon named Roger Donaldson (broadband@oua-corporate.com), email me back saying I qualified for position. He tolded me to purchaase VersaCheck Gold check printing software and ink, but I would be re-imbursed. He also said that I would be paid by printing my own checks. He didn’t go into details about what exactly i’ll be doing, just get the printing supplies, and email him back when done.
No website, nophone number to reach him, other than to call VersaCheck to make sure my printer was compatible (858-675-1095.
Is this legit? Is it a scam to buy VersaCheck supplies? or something more?
It’s not a scam to buy checks. But why is a company being so elusive? The fact you’re questioning this opportunity is a clear sign it should be avoided. Don’t let desperation get the better of you.
I received a mystery shopper job to go to Western Union. Received 2 postal money orders. Not 1 but 2 to do 1 job. Well I looked them up to see if they were fake and they were. There were sent certified mail in a blank envelope. I asked questions about this and got vague responses. I am not working, am looking for a job and have worked in the medical field for 30 years. I am not desperate though and how dare someone prey on me on anyone else in that matter. They go to jobsites where your resume is and prey on you and now they are threatening me!!! I live near and know the police in town. First I was just going to get rid of them but I couldn’t stand it if they got someone else instead. These people need to be strung up and yes their email was a gmail address.
I fell victim to a similar scam 3 yrs ago,but i actually cashed the check because it had a # on it to a bank and i called the # and the check was verified.Needless to say a month later i was arrested and charged with first degree forgery and spent 8 days in jail. I have never even had a traffic ticket before that.The charges were dismissed because i was able to prove that i had no idea that the check was counterfeit,but i could have spent time in prison for a stupid mistake if i hadn’t have had witnesses to back up what was saying so i consider myself VERY LUCKY!Just saw this posting and wanted to share my horrible experience.
Deborah,
I’m so sorry to hear that you fell for this scam and ended up going to jail for a bit. I’m sure those 8 days felt like 8 years. You’re so lucky that you were later found innocent. It’s just terrible that this scam can continue. In any event, thanks for sharing this with us. Hopefully it will inspire people to take heed to my advice about doing one’s research and avoiding things that sound too good to be true. Obviously there was a part of your gut that felt something wasn’t right which is why you called the bank. It’s just unfortunate there wasn’t a mechanism at the bank to red flag this for you. Thanks again for sharing.
I’m just so happy to hear you’re not in jail anymore!
Hi
I read that wire transfer scams is harsh world. Hacker did it from computer at bank in nigeria. It’s really about it. I lost usd $500 from someone is hacker make from computer at bank. I was very angry about it. It sound scary coz some bank don’t have security lock pin ID from where. Every 3 months bank officer suggest to make somebody change secret pin ID from bank and ATM from overseas coz it’s very safely.
I’m selling stuff on eBay and I get a question that claims to offer a part-time job. Desperate for cash, I respond. I get an email the following day from Erin Jacobs from International Trade Solutions LLC offering me a job as a transfer agent. They will send money to my PayPal account that I then withdraw and send to a third party via Western Union or Money Gram. I’ve already signed up out of desperation for cash giving them a copy of my ID and the last four digits of my social security number. Now I’m worried that they’ll steal my identity. Though, with my credit rating, its not worth much. What do you think Eddie?
Hey James,
Sorry to hear about this but I think you already know what I think based on the article I wrote above. My suggestion is to look into some identity theft service this way if someone does try to open any accounts you’ll know about it for the most part. Other than that I’m not really sure what to tell you. Try contacting your local bank and see if they have any advice. Ultimately the con artists is probably untouchable because they’re probably abroad. So there isn’t much you can do there. But you just want to make sure your identity isn’t being used for other things.
At the end of the day let this be a lesson. We’ve all been victims of work at home scams. But in the future don’t let desperation cloud your judgement. Follow your instincts. Always do your research! The good thing is that you’ve found this site and we have tons of information on avoiding scams:
http://www.workathomenoscams.com/scams
But more importantly we’ve provided a lot of legitimate ways to make money:
http://www.workathomenoscams.com/recommendations
http://www.workathomenoscams.com/jobs
So as long as you make use of the material we’ve provided, you should avoid a lot of these issues in the future. I hope this helps for better or worst.
Hello, my name is Alfa, i was just looking for a job in the internet and i found a company from the USA given me the opportunity to work at home, i live in Spain. At first time it sounds really good to be truth, so i put the name in the internet to find more information about it (Bab-Bell Mechanical Company) and just appear information about job offers. In the search i saw your page and after reading it, believe me ´am no gonna trust on them. Thanks! @eddysalomon:
@Traci:
seeking help to get away from crystal group donna_yemaya@hotmail.com
my chking acct is messed up…
Hi Eddy, thank you for talking about the crystal group, was going to buy into it. But my gut told me no, the cashing checks and taking 10% then sending them the rest of money sounded sketchy to me. So my sister was researching and found you. So I sent your story to a friend of mine that has received a western union ck from them for doing their payable. She got only one so far, so maybe I got to her in time.
The only thing I did was answer their email and told them I need time to think about this and talk to my husband. But like you they got my address, hopefully it will be over because I never said yes I want the job.
Is there any legit work at home out there?
Thanks
Christina Rosing
Hi Christina,
I’m glad I helped you avoid this scams.
Being that you’re looking for work at home and want to avoid scams. You came to the right place. We have all the information here. It’s just a matter of you reading it.
So you should start here:
http://www.WorkAtHomeNoScams.com/workathomeguide
You should also read the scam section from top to bottom. You’ll learn so much there:
http://www.WorkAtHomeNoScams.com/scams
And finally my personal recommendations can be found here:
http://www.WorkAtHomeNoScams.com/recommendations
So everything is at your finger tips and its free to use. So kick back for a few hours and learn about a world of possibilities.
Good luck. Spread the site to anyone else you know that can help. The more people, the better for all of us.
My husband and I are so happy to have read this information before giving this company a try. Spread Group Inc. is the company that claimed they saw my resume on hotjobs and would like me to be a part of their international business. As a part of my job I would accept checks and then wire the money to another account….seemed fishy, but we are desperate!! Thanks for the posting, now we know our gut instinct was right!
Hi Alicia,
I’m so happy you were able to find us and avoid this scam! Thanks for sharing this information about this company. Hopefully many more people will avoid it. You may want to check the following pages:
http://www.workathomenoscams.com/scams (For more scams to avoid)
http://www.workathomenoscams.com/workathomeguide (To find real work at home jobs)
Take care.
I received an email for a job interview with an actual legitimate company, but the persons involved are claiming to be involved with this company but are not, obviously. During the “interview” (I got the job by, the way) I was told that they would send me a check that i was to cash and purchase a money gram and send it to another party for my equipment to do the job. When I told the HR manager that my bank would make sure the check cleared before issuing me any cash, all contact was severed, by them. I have learned to also be careful of scammers pretending to represent a legitimate company, because of this issue.
I received an email today that I have a package with funds in amount of $800,000. The funds are waiting on outstanding pymt of $215.00 which I will not pay.
Thanks for chiming in. Feel free to post the email if you want so others can avoid this ridiculous scam.
@eddysalomon:
I have recieved a check the same form that you talk about the check was legit it doesn’t say who sent it just to deduct 10% for myself aand send the rest through western union I don’t knbow how people can be so lame and stupid. I would like to contact one of you to futher find out about this more .my email is listed please reply back asap
Hi,
I don’t think its fair to call people stupid and lame because they fell for a scam. We all make mistakes in life. You get blinded by desperation or the desire to make a living at home. So I don’t think victims are stupid. At the end of the day, these are learning experiences that should be learned from.
In any event, I’m not sure what other information you need regarding these check scams. I think the article is pretty clear. You should just destroy the check and move on.
@Grant:
Even though I stopped contacting with them, and didn\’t even look a the contract, they mailed me a check to my address. I\’m thinking it should be forwarded to the FBI or IRS… but I\’m not even sure how that works. What exactly do you do if you get checks from someone you suspect of money laundering, anyone?
You might just want to give the FBI a call to see what your options are. They’ll tell you the proper procedures,
@Kage:
Kage,
It seems to be a total scam! I was suckered into giving my contact info. I did not fax them the contract, but yet they still sent me checks in the upwards amounts of $2,000 each. I am sending the checks back with “FRAUD” written in bold red print. I think I might just go ahead and spam the crap out of the little Flores f#%ker.
@Eddy Salomon:
Thanks everyone for comments – yeh Eddy they posted me nearly £1500 american express travellers cheques in euros. Can’t figure out if they’re real or stolen – don’t mind going to the police but more worried about the actually people. There’s loads of them from “Bab-Bell Mechanical Company” or “Bab-bell United Group Ltd”. on jobsites (especially european ones) and I can’t find even one website from them. I know scammers are usually reclusive but still thinking about ohw they know where I live. The police are totally bent where I live too :(. They say they’re based in Sussex but not listed – just about as obvious as it gets which is probably more worrying. thanks again all
I received a job offer by email from a guy named Fernando Flores, who appears to be running an international web consultant firm out of Spain: flores-ecommerce.com. The job they offered me appears identical from the story in the main article. I only sent them my contact info and where to fax the “contract,” but I have a gut feeling that something is off here. Actually, I found this website when I trying researching check & wiring schemes.
Does this look suspicious to anyone, also? http://flores-ecommerce.com/acc_payable.html
Kage,
Just go with your gut. If they’re talking about processing payments and you keep some of the money, then the answer is pretty clear. These type of scams should be avoided and that’s it. I would avoid any further emails with this person if you’re gut feeling is telling you it’s not right. Your instincts are usually right.
@Traci: I received a similar e-mail and even contacted them with my information. I was sent 3 $300.00 postal money orders to cash @ my bank and then wire the remaining money to them after keeping my 10%. well something just didn’t feel right so i figured they r postal money orders so i can take them to the post office and cash them. when i got to the post office i was asked where i had gotten them from cause they were fakes. i turned in all the information to the post office that i had received and when i received another e-mail from them i informed them that the post office had the fakes and (not too nicely) informed them that i hope they get busted cause they could have gotten me in trouble.
Hi Eddy,
Hoping you can help me out. I’d been looking at jobs, and applied for literally 100s. Got a reply from a company looking for accounts assistant(my job) and sent them basic info (name, address, telephone & email.)They then said they were going to send me money to cash for them take 10% etc. SUSPECT. But, I couldn’t see how I could be scammed and in my nativity didn’t reply to say that I wasn’t interested. They also said they would contact me before anything was sent so I figured if they said anything then that I wasn’t happy with I could just say no. They didn’t call or email, and I’ve just received 1500euros in a brown envelope and nothing else. Would of course love to take the money(even just 10%) but now I just wish I didn’t say anything to them. Really paranoid about the whole thing now and have no idea what to do. Could go to the police but also worried about getting kneecapped for stealing or snitching on money laundering mobsters. Arrrrgh! really screwed myself over here and just hoping that you or anyone migh t have some advice for me.
Hi Ben,
Did you receive an actual check or money? Either way, visit the site mentioned in the article and they provide you with advice for these type of scams. Personally I would contact a bank official or police and get their advice.
They’re both very aware of these scams.
I recently recieved one of those scams. Me, being the naive person I am, bought into it. They sent me a check for $1925. They told me to cash it at my bank. Well, I didn’t cash it…but I did deposit it…like a dope. Here’s the thing, they said they’re from overseas and want to post ads in America. So the money was to go to American Newspapers around my area and I keep commission. To me this sounds legit, and the website they provided was theirs. So I deposit it and then they tell me I need to transfer the money via Western Union to…AUSTRIA! What!? My red flag went up and immediately figured out it was a scam. This was all yesterday morning. Right now I’m going directly to my bank and talking with someone to see if they can reverse this. Luckily I didn’t actually cash this check or have touched any of the money. I’m going to speak to one of my bank superviors to see what can be done to reverse this catastrophe. Any recommendations for what else I could possibly do? Contact local authority, perhaps, and let them know so others won’t be as gullible as I?
Hi Reeves,
Thanks for sharing with us. I am sorry to hear that you’ve fallen victim to this scam. But you’re taking the right steps by reporting this scam here and contacting your bank and local authorities. You could help more people avoid this scam if you can post some of the emails you received online so when others may do a search they’ll find your report here.
We’ve had quite a few victims do that over on our scams page:
http://www.workathomenoscams.com/scams
and its really helped a lot of people. So I would encourage you to head to that page and share as many details as possible. We actually just finishing talking to a couple about their recent scam experience on that page. You may find the information useful.
Eddy
I recently replied to an ad on craigslist ant this is what i got back
“What this position entails: You have to post classified ads, such as sales ads, employment ads or real estate ads in your local newspapers and magazines.
The company is located in Germany and prices for newspaper ads are almost double for foreign citizens/companies, this is the main reason we need your services in the US for the specified position, Newspaper Advertiser. You will spend max. 2-4 hours weekly, in your spare time. You do NOT need special skills or degrees. The position is very easy and can be done by anyone without the necessity to leave current job! It’s as easy as placing an ad in a newspaper.
This work does not require any money out-of-pocket from you. We will provide the money to post in newspapers. Once you have received the money and the ad content necessary for the postings from us, all you have to do is place the ads from home by calling newspapers’ toll free numbers or by using their online services. There will be 4-10 ads placed weekly, for each ad you post you are paid with $100, you will deduct your share from money we send you to post the ads. For example, if we need to place an ad that costs $500 we will send you $600, you pay $500 to newspaper or website that places the ad and you remain same day with $100 commission. This is possible because for a foreign company the same ad costs around $900-$1100.
Almost all of our ads are employment ads from various European companies that want to have ads in the US. We may also have some ads from US companies wanting to advertise in European newspapers.
Requirements:
– Reliable internet access OR the ability to check your email daily
– You must be over 20 years old
– 2-3 hours free during the week (mainly in the evening / non-business hours) for communication;
You will enjoy working independently from home in a way that meets your scheduling needs. You can earn a full-time income in as little as 2-3 hours/week. This is an excellent way to supplement your current income. It is possible to work for us for a few hours daily and increase your income by up to $800 weekly. If you have any questions about an assignment, you will generally receive a response from us within the same day, often within few minutes. NO account SETUP fees or fees of any kind are required for this work.
To start the job today please reply with the information below:
First name, Last name:
Full Street Address – NO PO Boxes please:
City, State, Postal Zip Code:
Two E-mail addresses:
Phone#:
We will select papers from the US where the classified ads will be placed and send you the funds to post. You need to place the ads in max. 48 hours after you receive the money from us! This is the only condition we ask. How you are paid for your services: As specified above, there will be 4-10 employment ads placed weekly. For each ad you post, you are paid $100. You will deduct your share from money we send you to post the ads. After a satisfactory 30-day trial period, we will establish a long-term contract with you. You will be registered as our employee and we’ll pay taxes every time you will place an ad. You will then receive a 1099 form at the end of each year from us.
Although the requirements for this position are very simple and all terms are clear, please do not apply for this job if you are not responsible. Your agreement will be considered a US binding contract, so we expect you to follow through on your commitment to our requirements.
Thank you”
The domain it was sent from was a new domain and the contact info was invalid. so i reverse look up the registered owner and call him. he says he never registered this domain. unlimd.com
the following day i received this
“Here is William Kohl from Adlink Media Company,
Like we specified, a cashier check of $1,425 will be released today for the Advertising Job you applied for. Simply cash the payment when you receive it at your bank and follow instructions.
It is very important to post the ads exactly like we will send it to you, all words. After ads are posted you still have 24 hours and you can modify the content, no problems if you make a mistake first times, simply forward us the confirmation emails that publications will send and we will correct if needed.
Please confirm again your full name and address that we have on file:
First name, Last name (No Nicknames please):
Full Street Address (NO PO Boxes):
City, State, Postal Zip Code:
Two E-mail addresses:
You will place 2 job ads after you receive first payment in LA Times and Sun Sentinel newspapers. You will call an 1-800 number to do this task. You will receive instructions and complete “how to” specifications, also the text that will appear in the ad. Simply let us know when you will receive the cashier’s check next week. Your commission is $200 from this order. You must place the order in max. 48 hours after you receive the money. Of course, we will instruct you 100%.
Please reply with specified info to confirm that you received this email.
Thank you
AdLINK Internet Media GmbH, Contact William Kohl
KaistraíŸe 20B , 40221 Dí¼sseldorf , Germany
Tel.: +49 (0) 211 1 02 77-0 Fax: +49 (0) 211 1 02 77-111 adlinkmedia.net”
The contact info is all fake except the website that is very legitimate.
What should i do? I am very angry at getting my hopes up.
Hi James,
Thanks for providing such great detail!
That should help many people avoid this scam artist.
What you should do, is continue to spread the word about this company on other sites dedicated to fighting spams
so it’s harder for this person to scam folks. We’ve listed some other scam fighting sites here:
http://www.workathomenoscams.com/2008/01/21/top-5-scam-fighting-sites
Just don’t cash the check. As long as you don’t cash the check you should be fine. You can report this
person to the FTC or BBB but chances are they’re using a free email address and may be outside the country.
So the best thing to do is just warn others by posting this to as many other places as possible. Don’t get mad. You were smart, you did your research which saved
you a lot of trouble. There are plenty of legitimate ways to make money online:
http://www.workathomenoscams.com/recommendations so don’t fret.
If you don’t mind please post this scam in our scam section:
http://www.workathomenoscams.com/scams A lot of people visit that page and it will help more people avoid these guys.
Like I said in past posts, scam artist are getting smarter. They’re varying their scams and actually including the contact information of real
legitimate companies in the emails. But the thing is the scam artist tend to be emailing you from a free email address. But they’re hoping that because you
see a legitimate company address within the email you won’t bother to verify if they work for that company. So again you did a great thing by doing
further research.
Thanks again for reporting this!
Eddy
I think you should definitely call the bank of origin.
Let them know you’re worried about check fraud and was advised to contact them. Most banks are aware of this scam and will be happy to help.
Eddy
OK Eddy
I have a question for you. As I said, my bank gave me a copy of the check so I could call the bank of origin to verify the funds. If I called the bank, would they be able to tell me if this is fradulent or not? The teller at my bank said they would at least tell me, as the holder of the check if the funds were available.
At least now I know that, and may do so if I get this in the future.
Hi Marie,
Thanks for the further details.
Sometimes what the scammers do is use legitimate company’s name address and telephone numbers. But you’ll notice that they tend to email you from some free email account and never from the real company address they refer to in their email.
Another dead give away is the p.o. box. So these guys stayed true to form.
Thanks again for the further details. Now when people do a search, hopefully this post will come up.
Eddy
Hi Eddy
The information on the letter I received was from Premier Consumer Solutions. With a PO box in Brooklyn NY as a address. The letter was signed my a Martha William.
I did an internet search for them, and came up empty. Which should have raised a red flag there. My bank gave me a copy of the check I deposited. The company on the check was called Occidental Permian Ltd, in Houston Texas.
Now, there IS an Occident Permian, with offices in Texas and California. I did find them on the internet..and they have something to do with oil refining.
The letterhead for Premier also said “mystery shopping, market research, consulting & counselling” I just now noticed the misspelling of counseling.
I called the 800 number today, and the man I talked with seemed surprised at what happened. He said he was “very busy” now, but would get back to me. I am not holding my breath waiting.
Hi Marie,
Thanks for sharing. This is a slight twist to this scam. Mystery shopping is actually a legitimate way to make money but the way you described it is definitely not the way it goes down. Goes to figure how scam artist are always evolving.
Would you mind providing us the person’s name, website address, email etc so others can avoid them.
All the actions you took were totally spot on! So good for you.
Thanks for sharing!
We really appreciate it.
Eddy
I recently recieved a letter and a check (drawn on a bank I’d heard of). Was told to deposit the check, keep some as my Pay, spend some as a mystery shopper and wire transfer most back to them.
I was hesitant, but after discussing it with my husband, decided to go for it. There was a promise of a substansial weekly salary if I was Hired after my trial period.
What I DID do was open a separate checking account, for just this check, so it would not be connected with our primary checking account.
After a few days, I checked with the bank and was told the money cleared. I withdrew $100..which I was to use for my mystery shopping trip.
When my ATM card came today, I tried to activate it, and was told the account had been “captured”. Cometo find out they were investigating the check for possible fraud, as there was a problem getting the bank to clear the funds.
The guy from MY bank said it was a smart thing I opened a separate account. I filed a report at FakeChecks.org. I was told that my bank would contact the BBB if it determines the check was a fraud.
Was the company called Nicor services? I have been through the same thing, but i wasn’t smart enough to open a separate account and my bank shut it down, saying the check was a fraud. In a few days i will receive a letter from the bank with all details. I think shutting it down was a bit drastic, since it wasn’t my fault, they said i cannot be their costumer anymore, which i think is stupid. Instead of working with me to chase this people down, they make me pay the consequences.
I definitely think it sucks when Banks penalize the victims. It’s like being victimized twice. But ultimately they make the rules. The only thing we can do is ensure that we aren’t victimized again by doing our research before joining any of these work at home companies.
Scams like this are easily avoided 99.9% of the time when we do the research beforehand. So just consider it a lesson learned.
Hi Crissy,
Thanks for the follow up.
What do they think we’re idiots? Wire transfers or checks, it’s the same crap. It’s all a scam. Thank goodness you know better!
Thanks again for sharing.
Eddy
Here’s what I received today:
We are not working with checks!!!!
Only wire transfers! You’ll withdrawing money only after money will be
cleared on your account!!
I only hope by posting all this that someone else will benefit from my experience. Thank God I didn’t go any further than I did with these scumbags!
Crissy
Hi Chrissy,
Thanks for sharing this latest variation of the check cashing scam with us.
You took the right actions. You may still want to contact your local police department or the FBI. Sometimes they can track these criminals down with the header information of the email you received.
Don’t feel stupid about sending your information. The scam artist are a lot smarter than they use to be. They use a lot of tricks to lure you into a sense of security such as using legitimate company’s name and physical address in their emails, asking questions that legitimate employers would and not requesting fees.
So I can see how most people fall for it. After all yours truly has been in this industry since the early 90’s and I fell for it. But knowledge is power. The word is getting out that no matter what these folks may say, as soon as they start talking about cashing checks, processing payments, wire transfers, you know it’s the same old check cashing scam.
In terms of the identity theft, the only thing I can suggest is getting a credit monitoring service.
It’s a paid monthly service where they instantly email you alerts anytime a credit inquiry is being made or a new line of credit is opened in your name.
I recently opened one when I saw some weird charges showing up in my checking account that weren’t initiated by me. It’s a good way to protect against identity theft.
Your local bank or credit card company may offer the service or just do a search online. With that said I don’t think the scammers can do much unless you gave them stuff like your social security number, license, etc.
But it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
I hope this helps you.
Eddy
I naively sent my resume to a “company” called AIF Investment Consulting today. Their website is http://www.aif-invest-consulting.com, which looks pretty legitimate until you look very closely and realize the grammar and spelling is off. They responded with the following questions:
Hello.
We are glad you manifest an interest in our job
offer!
We have a few questions
for you and if you answer them with answers that suit
our needs then you may
consider yourself hired!
1) How many days are you spending per month out of
your town?
2) Are you checking your e-mail daily?If not how
often?If YES how many times a
day?
3) Do you have a personal bank account?If the answer
is NO can you open one with
a bank in your area?
4) Are you able to go out of your home to a bank/post
office nearby your area?
5) Upon notifications from us that a wire
transferl will
reach you in 24 hrs or so will you be able to wait
for it or go to the bank to
cash it or withdraw the money?(Please note: we shall
never ask you to stay at
home 24hrs/day but you should be aware that our
clients can not wait for us
days in order to receive wire
transfers).
6) Are you able to move around your area fast enough
?(e.g. Go to your local
bank and withdraw money from your account and/or
afterwards sending a wire to
another person/company we will indicate to you? )
7) Can you supply to us a valid scanned copy of your
I.D. (driver’s licence OR
passport ) and a landline in
order to verify your
identity?
8) Do you have Money Gram branch or Western Union branch in your area?
Respectfully,
AIF Investment Consulting
Thank you.
I replied to this with “Yes” answers but have not heard back again from them. After checking out all the info on your site and the fakechecks.org site, I sent them this e-mail:
If I receive any further e-mails from you or detect any further suspicious activity, I will be contacting my local FBI agency and police department immediately. Check out fakechecks.org if you want to know where my information comes from.
Hopefully, this will be the end of it but now I’m worried about identify theft. They have my address and home phone number, not to mention my work and education history. I don’t know how much they could do with it, but I feel really stupid for sending it. I’m usually much better at recognizing scams!!!
Any advice?
Thanks.
Hi Brittany,
Honestly there isn’t much more to do. You contacted the feds and you let others know about the scam on this site. Just tear the check up and ignore the emails being sent to you.
Or if you really want to get the message across send them an email referring them to the FakeChecks.org site. That should let them know you’re on to them and they should leave you alone.
Hope this helps.
Eddy
hi,
i had talked about the crystal group scam…i did indeed recieve a check for over 3000 dollars from them…they are sending me emails now asking why i have not cashed it…i called the local fbi office and asked them what i should do…the lady told me if i knew it was a scam to just rip up the check or send it back to where it came from…what should be my response back to the company??
thanks
Hi Britt,
Thanks for sharing your fiance’s experience with us. I’m not sure if you read the article above but what you described is basically the same thing. There might be some variations but at the end of the day anytime strangers are asking you to cash a check for whatever reason its usually a scam that can lead to a lot of headaches. From what I understand the government is very aware of this scam and isn’t punishing the victims. Your local bank may not be as forgiving though. In any event, under no circumstances should your finance cash the check. If
anything you should contact your local police department as I’m sure they will have detectives that have seen similar cases and this may help their investigation.
You should also visit the site we mentioned in the article above for further tips and advice.
I hope this helps.
Good luck.
Eddy
My fiance received a check a few days ago from someone in California. Apparently, some woman had randomly contacted him through his e-mail, and she asked if he could wire $3,000 to her. She said that the money would be sent from someone in California, and it arrived through express mail. My fiance told me about it like two days ago, and as an attorney, it sent up a huge red flag. I requested that he forward the e-mails to me, and upon reviewing them, I discovered that the lady was in need of X amount of dollars to get back to the U.S. My fiance has not cashed the check, and I told him not to. I consulted with one of my senior colleagues, and he said that if my fiance were to cash the check, he could be found guilty of money laundering, passing of a counterfeit check, and a host of other charges. Has anyone ever heard of this scam? When my fiance asked where she had gotten his information, she was very vague. My fiance had the check sent to a previous address, and his step-father signed for it. I have advised my fiance to not spend the money. What should the next steps be?
Hi Brittany,
Thanks for sharing your experience. You did the right things in this situation and helped yourself avoid being scammed.
In terms of the identity theft situation, that is always a possibility. I set up a credit alert thing after coming close to falling for this scam. What that does is send me an email alert if someone opens a credit card in my name or any line of credit. So that’s given me piece of mind. Your bank or credit card company probably offers a similar service. So you may want to look into that.
In any event, you’re a perfect example of what every work at home seeker should do in terms of getting involved with various opportunities. This is why I always refer people to the scam video on our scam page: http://www.workathomenoscams.com/scams when they ask me if a company is a scam. That’s the way I research companies and its help me avoid a lot of crap.
So its great to hear when work at home seekers like yourself are putting that into practice.
In any event, I hope this doesn’t turn you off to working at home. There are plenty of legitimate opportunities out there. Fortunately you have found this site and you can explore many of the ones we recommend.
Good luck to you either way.
Eddy
I am so glad i found this website. I too was desperate for work and posted my resume on jobplanet.com…I got several emails. one was for a cashier. It too was through crystal group. I gave them my name and address, telephone, age, and where I had previously worked. I was then contacted by email from a supposed higher up in the company and they said if i had any questions about the job to ask. My last email to them was about taxes and how i would go about doing that. You know, if they would send a w2 or if i would have to do them myself. I still have not heard from them. I have not cashed any checks for them thank god. With the info i gave them, could they steal my identity? Or is this just one of those scams that try to get you to cash the checks? I am glad that i took the time to investigate this before actually receiving and cashing anything for them.
Thanks for the website!
Brittany
You’re welcome Kelly.
Glad that we were able to help you avoid this scam.
Be sure to become a subscriber so you don’t miss any other articles that may help you avoid scams:
http://www.workathomenoscams.com/subscribe
Take care.
Eddy
Thanks for referring me to the site fakechecks.org. I could have had a lot of money taken from me along with the heartache. Thanks for the help you provide to innocent people trying to make it and take care of their families. I’m glad I found this website. I’ll makr sure I shred that fradulent check.
Hi Traci,
Thanks for sharing your experience. Glad you didn’t get victimized by this scam. Be sure to check out our other scam resources and material to help you avoid any others:
http://www.workathomenoscams.com/work-at-home-scams/
And if you’re visiting other sites be sure to share the information you learned here with others so they can avoid being scammed as well.
We all need to do our part to stop people from being victimized.
Thanks again for commenting Traci.
Hope to see you on our blog again very soon.
Eddy
I received an email from someone claiming to have seen my resume on a job search website. I was looking for employment at the time. They said they were from an “investment monitoring company” and asked me to be a payment processor. Their clients would send check or money order to me to cash and wire the money to this company. I would cash the check and deduct 10% as a fee for me to process payments. I was desperate for employment and gave the company my name, address, phone number, and age. They said I could start right away because the girl who contacted me had too many checks to process and she needed help. I have still been waiting on a response from them on when I would start this. Until I read info on this website, I had no idea this was a type of scam. I am so glad I never cashed any of these checks. The company called themselves Crystal Group of Companies, based in the UK.