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.

Monday, October 22, 2007

Niagara Inc

There is probably at least one real business somewhere called "Niagara Inc", but "niagarabizusa@aol.com " isn't it. This is a very rudimentary money mule scam targeting Americans, noteworthy only for the fact that they associated my pseudonym "Deception Spotter" with my email address correctly.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: [redacted (false)]
Date: 20 Oct 2007 01:54
Subject: Job offer-flexible schedule and high salary
To: Deception Spotter < ideceive@gmail.com>

Stop dreaming! Time to embody your daydreams!

International company "Niagara Inc" searching for finace managers from United States!
You will work 2-3 hours per day,salary - 1800 USD per week!
No relocation!
For more information write us: niagarabizusa@aol.com
Best regards,
Paul Smith, finance director Niagara Incorpotation.

No VIRUS ! Kaspersky Antivirus Protected

Posted by Spotter at 06:18

1 comment:

Susan said...

I received an email from them today. Completely different message, different job description, but same company name. They used the email address: niagaraincorps@aol.com.

5:27 am, October 29, 2007

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