Latest Job Scams

The latest scams that are hitting the most vulnerable people in the country at the moment such as our ever increasing number of people that are becoming unemployed has been revealed to me today. Global recession and rising unemployment has seen a massive boost in job scams.

As reported on the Scambusters.org website they say that there are four main scams currently circulating on the web.

1. Cash and product forwarding

This one is where an email is sent to your inbox claiming that you have the ideal skills for a work at home job. You answer the email with your details but all it is a “staging post for stolen cash or goods”. How it works is this;

• “The crook sells a non-existent item and the payment from the buyer comes to you; you forward part of it to the scammer, after deducting commission, via an untraceable money-wiring service.”

• “The crook orders items with a stolen credit card. You receive them and ship them abroad, usually to a PO Box. A recent survey of eight legitimate online retailers showed that 5,000 people were hoodwinked into receiving and forwarding items this way in just three months. The total annual bill for this crime is said to be about $500 million.”

In both cases the first thing you will know that it is fraudulent is when the police come knocking on your door!

There are no legitimate jobs where you receive and forward packages!

2. Government jobs

Scammers know that people are more likely to respond if they think that jobs have come from official and trustworthy sources. In the US a few months back the Federal Trade Commission filed a complaint about “a firm that charged $120 to $140 for materials it claimed would help applicants pass a US Postal Service qualifying exam.”

Another way that scammers operate is by setting up websites that have names very close to official and legitimate government sites that ask for commission for job applications. These are full of “bogus job ads” and require a fee for a job application and for further information, and another way is by advertising jobs with premium phone rates for jobs that simply do not exist!

3. Identity Theft

With job scams scammers use three techniques which are:

• “They scour online job search sites and classified print and online ads for personal information about job seekers. They may get sufficient info from these or use them as a stepping-off point to build up a more detailed identity using Google searches and the second technique listed below.”

• “Using spam or information about you gleaned from online sources, they contact you with a potential job offer, usually saying they’ve seen your resume online or that someone has told them about you. You may then be interviewed or simply sent an application form, but in either case you’ll be asked to divulge personal information about yourself. You may be told they need to carry out a credit check, for which they need personal information — plus a fee, payable by credit card. They may claim they have to scan your driver’s license for security purposes. Then they have all the information they need to steal your ID.”

• “Simply advertising bogus jobs both online and in print and then trying to get your personal details as above.”

Never post your very private details onto any site as these can be used for ID theft!

4. Pay to work

It is not illegal or unknown to charge someone for finding them work but this is not the normal way of doing business these days. Most people who charge people for finding them work usually have no better idea than anyone else. They pretend to circulate your CV in a way of justifying their fees.

Here are some of the tricks they will use:

• “Producing lists of jobs for which you’re not qualified.

• Pointing you to jobs which are thousands of miles away.

• Claiming they have exclusive access to job lists not available to the general public.

• Offering to polish up your resume to make you more “saleable.”

• Encourage you to submit dishonest job applications.

• Offering coaching to help you pass entrance exams for particular jobs.”

Always remember do you know anyone that paid for a legitimate job?? Please do not part with any money to anyone who promises to find you work in this way!

Update: Taylor Christian Sponsorship Scam

I am happy to reveal that an ex-employee of Taylor Christian has left a comment on my blog this morning confirming that the whole sponsorship is indeed a scam. They have confirmed that the business operates in Birkenhead, Merseyside with the business address of 38 Hamilton Square, and the telephone number there is 01516474625.

This is excellent news and I thank the person who gave this information on my blog. I hope this helps those of you out there who have been approached by Taylor Christian and hopefully we can put a stop to their business dealings.

Thanks again!!

Update 12 December 2008

It has also been brought to my attention that the company is also known as Taylor Christion!! Either of these two companies are operating as the same business and both are scams!!!

Update 20 January 2009

It has been brought to my attention that the company is still running and may have changed their name to HRM. Beware!!

Teacher Data Goes “Missing”!!

During lunch today I picked up the paper to read that yet more data discs have gone missing. This time it is the details of teachers in the UK. Again, the data went missing in the post!! Wish my bills could get lost in the post just as much as these important discs!! But sadly, no such luck!!

It has been reported on the ITN website that “almost 11,500 teachers’ names, addresses and registration numbers were on the encrypted disc which vanished while being couriered to the General Teaching Council’s Birmingham Office”.

However a spokesperson claimed that national insurance numbers and financial information were not on the disc. Does this make the situation less alarming?! In my opinion, not at all. It frightens me that so much data is going missing and getting lost. In today’s society where we are told to shred everything with our names and addresses on I think this kind of blunder is extremely worrying for us all.

You can read the full report on the situation here.

Please let me know your views on this!!!

Number 10 Petition Against Scams

I had an interesting comment on my blog from Richard regarding a petition to protect SME’s from unfair sales practices and organised scams similar to the one by Taylor Christian on my blog in the UK.

I was unaware of this petition and I am glad that Richard has brought it to my attention. All SME’s need to sign the petition and it can be found at the No 10 website at http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/SME-Scam-Review/

I urge you all to go to the site and sign it. Let’s get together and stop this kind of scam and protect all SME’s as they are already vulnerable targets especially during the ‘Credit Crunch’, without falling victim to scams.

We need at least 200 signatures on the petition before the Prime Minister will even look at it. So, give all your support!

Thanks!!

Internet Explorer 7 – Malware E-Mail

There is an e-mail currently circulating that asks to upgrade to Internet Explorer 7, claiming to be from Microsoft. However, when clicking on the link in the e-mail an unsuspected trojan has just found a new home on your computer/laptop!

The e-mail may be similar to the following:

About this mailing:
You are receiving this e-mail because you subscribed to MSN Featured Offers. Microsoft respects your privacy. If you do not wish to receive this MSN Featured Offers e-mail, please click the “Unsubscribe” link below. This will not unsubscribe you from e-mail communications from third-party advertisers that may appear in MSN Feature Offers. This shall not constitute an offer by MSN. MSN shall not be responsible or liable for the advertisers’ content nor any of the goods or service advertised. Prices and item availability subject to change without notice.

©2008 Microsoft | Unsubscribe | More Newsletters | Privacy

Microsoft Corporation, One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052

If you receive such an e-mail please do not click on any of the links, as it is by no means been sent from Microsoft. The trojan can modify the Windows registry and other Windows files. It can also connect to other malicious websites and download and install more malware components. (Information provided by Hoaxslayer)

“Microsoft does not send update notifications via unsolicited emails. Any unsolicited email claiming to be from Microsoft that instructs the recipient to click a link or open an attachment to update his or her computer should be treated as suspect. When updating your Windows based computer, always ensure that you do so via the official Windows Update website.” (Information provided by Hoaxslayer)

Microsoft has published information about how to recognize fraudulent emails targeting Microsoft customers on its website.

Lightning Storm Meets Volcanic Eruption!

On a lighter note, today I have discovered a ’scam’ currently circulating in e-mails, forums and in other blogs. The photographs claim they show a lightning storm with a volcanic eruption. I must admit they are quite spectacular photographs.

There has been many comments and discussions about the photos mainly saying that the photos are fake! Apparently the photos are indeed real!

The almost otherworldly sight of these two powerful forces of nature clashing with each other has caused some commentators to suggest that the images have been manipulated. However, the photographs are in fact genuine.

The photographs depict an eruption of the Chaiten volcano in Chile in May 2008. The volcano, which has been dormant for thousands of years, is located around 1300km south of Santiago. An article about the eruption published in The Australian on May 8th 2008 describes the event:

Tonnes of dust and ash from the eruption of the Chaiten volcano poured into the night sky just as an electric storm was passing overhead.

The resulting collision created an extraordinary sight as lightning flickered around the dust cloud in the fiery, orange glow of the volcano.

Several thousand residents were evacuated from the area and the plume from the eruption has left large areas of land covered in a layer of ash.

The information was provided by Hoax Slayer
The full story can be seen at ‘The Australian’

Avivah Litan from Gardner – Podcast

Avivah Litan is an information and security analyst at research firm Gartner,  he talks to Computer Weekly’s Warwick Ashford about the effectiveness of chip and pin bank card technology in combating fraud and the risks that may result from the introduction of faster payments.

Here it here! Avivah Litan

Telogram – “Strange Letters”

It has been brought to my attention that a company called Telogram has been sending out a variety of “strange letters”.

The one that was brought to my attention was sent to someone’s address but with their mother’s name on. The letter was enquiring about the address of their mum saying and quoting their last known address! She still lives at that address!

The letter then wanted them to phone a number to verify her mum’s personal details.  If no action is taken, they then quote as saying they “will be undertaking outbound telephone calls to various sources including neighbours to verify the information supplied is correct.”

Alarm bells certainly did start ringing when I heard this as I thought which company would ring the neighbours to check out your personal details? And how come the neighbours know this kind of information? Very strange!

I then began a search on Google and according to moneysavingexpert.com it is a scam. On further research I uncovered that

Telogram Ltd is a scam company run by Capquest Debt Recovery. Very fond of trying to make people pay debts that aren’t theirs.

This was found at consumeractiongroup.co.uk.

The company is registered with Companies House which the registered address is:

TELOGRAM LIMITED
9 Clarendon Place
LEAMINGTON SPA
CV32 5QP

However, the ‘jury’ is still out on this one as I have found that the number to ring could either be  a premium rate number, others have reported that it could be phishing for identity theft and others who think it is legitimate.

I would be interested for anyone with a similar story to share and submit it so we can try and shed some light on this!

“Million Dead in Chinese Quake”

Spammers are using the earthquake disaster in China to find new ways of spreading their viruses. It has been reported in Computer Weekly that the e-mail claims that an “earthquake measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale has hit Beijing, causing millions of casualties and putting the 2008 Olympic Games at risk”.

The e-mail also contains a link to a video but when you click on this link, the download of damaging malware Nuwar-E begins.

However, Sophos class this as a low threat, but it goes to show how low spammers will go to spread their malicious viruses.

NatWest Maintenance

Yet more e-mails are being sent out regarding banks requesting confirmation and verification. The latest one currently circulating involves clicking a link in the e-mail and following the steps to verify your online bank account.

There are many similar e-mails going around reportedly from banks either updating their databases and these are all aimed at one outcome only. Gaining your bank details.

Banks will never request personal information in this way and all e-mail concerning your bank should be treated with the utmost of suspicion. If in doubt, do not answer the e-mail but contact your bank directly if you have any concerns. Never try to contact them through links in e-mails.