Job scam quick guide: it's a scam if...

  • they want you to collect and forward money in any way (a "money mule" job). You'll wind up engaged in money laundering, personally defrauded via expertly forged cheques, money orders, etc, or defrauding someone else who pays for goods that never arrive.
  • they want you to receive packages and reship them somewhere else. The goods will have been obtained fraudulently, and they're just using you to make the shipping address appear local. You will be aiding fraud.
  • they want up-front payment (either to them or someone else) of any sort for anything before you can get the job. This is advance fee fraud: there is no job -- it's just a big con to extract money from you.
  • they want you to buy any kind of "membership" or "kit" in order to start. Forget it -- it's not a real job at all: they're trying to sell you something, and they're probably making a bunch of other false claims about it if they're pitching it as a "job".
  • it's a job offer, and it's spam. There are LOTS of these scams about, as you can see.

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

AlphaMarkets Ltd

This is the SaxoForex/UKFX scam under a new name, or so I surmise by the common text in the spam. Evidence so far suggests that this scam involves receiving money directly transferred from phishing victims, and forwarding the proceeds to the scammers via Western Union. This is illegal, and their cover stories about legal money transfers are exactly that: cover stories.

The following list of involved domain names is probably not comprehensive.

Domain ID:D146268911-LROR
Domain Name:OPEN-MARKETS.ORG <-- scam
Created On:17-May-2007 10:54:17 UTC <-- new
Last Updated On:17-May-2007 11:00:41 UTC
Expiration Date:17-May-2008 10:54:17 UTC
Sponsoring Registrar:Directi Internet Solutions d/b/a PublicDomainRegistry.Com (R27-LROR)
Registrant ID:PP-SP-001
Registrant Name:Domain Admin
Registrant Organization:Privacyprotect.org
Name Server: NS1.WSHOST.ORG
Name Server:NS2.WSHOST.ORG

Domain ID:D17867102-LRMS
Domain Name:OPEN-MARKETS.INFO <-- scam
Created On:17-May-2007 10:54:17 UTC <-- new
Last Updated On:17-May-2007 10:54:19 UTC
Expiration Date:17-May-2008 10:54:17 UTC
Sponsoring Registrar:Direct Information Pvt. Ltd. d/b/a PublicDomainRegistry.com (R159-LRMS)
Registrant ID:PP-SP-001
Registrant Name:Domain Admin
Registrant Organization:Privacyprotect.org
Name Server:NS1.WSHOST.ORG
Name Server:NS2.WSHOST.ORG

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: noreply[@]site.careerbuilder.com <noreply[@]site.careerbuilder.com>
Reply-to: vacancy@open-markets.info
Date: 23-May-2007 18:06
Subject: CareerBuilder.com Job Matches: An excellent oportunity to start a career.
To: ideceive@gmail.com

Alpha Markets Ltd.
10 Wellington Street.
BD7, Bradford, United Kingdom.
Tel/Fax: ++44 7092892742  (Our office hours are 9am - 5pm)

Our HR department has recently reviewed your info and forwarded it to me. I'd like to introduce you to Alpha Markets and it's open positions.

AlphaMarkets Ltd. customer service department is currently offering employment for 11 United States residents and 4 UK residents in order to provide it's new branch with qualified personnel.
*17/05/2007* We have already accepted several suitable resumes and hired 5 persons. Thus, only 10 vacancies are left.
The private client support desk is responsible for following up client enquiries, helping the clients to understand how AlphaMarkets can save them money on foreign currency transactions, and developing new business through referrals.
If you're a customer service fanatic, and enjoy working in a challenging and rewarding environment, please see below for our current list of opportunities.

Position: Customer service officer.
Salary:  Starting salary is $2500 - $4500 per month, which will be paid to you in accordance with our standard payroll procedures.
In addition, you will be eligible for monthly and annual bonuses.
Relevant work experience: Will be an advantage.
Location: USA (all states)
Education level: College degree is an advantage.
Insurance: 1 month after you begin work, you will be covered under our group health insurance policy, unless you advise us that you do not desire such coverage.
Please forward your full resume, contact information and questions to HR dept. e-mail: vacancy@open-markets.org
You will be contacted within 1-2 business days.

Should you have any questions regarding this letter, our offer of employment or anything else, please write me an e-mail.
We are excited to have you join our organization and look forward to working with you.

IMPORTANT NOTE: AlphaMarkets Ltd. does no CHEQUES CLEARING, ISSUES or PROCESSING.

Best regards,
Andrea Jacobson
Employment Manager
AlphaMarkets Ltd.
Posted by Spotter at 12:07

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I received this communication from Ms. Jacobson Friday, May 25th with a followup email today providing links to the AlphaMarkets website. The website is very convincing and also serves as a phishing expedition tool if you're foolish enough to sign up for one of their trading accounts. The give away that it is a money mule job is found in the question and answer portion of the "Careers" page. There, despite the email's assertion that no check clearing or processing is involved, the questions and answers make clear that you are to establish a new bank account, or use an established one, for the purpose of wiring money by Western Union to AlphaMarkets. They don't state that the turn around must be within 24 to 48 hours, however. But maybe that's stated in the contract they offer to send for your endorsement.

11:40 pm, May 27, 2007

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