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, August 04, 2008

MCB Finance (a.k.a. EFG - Group Oy)


A correspondent warns me of a job scam found advertised in an Australian newspaper. I've heard of such ads being placed in print media in the USA, but this is the first such report I've had from Australia. As happens from time to time, the scammers haven't been entirely consistent with their false identity, and the email they sent contained links to two different (but highly similar) websites: MCB Finance, and EFG Group. I've reported on an "EFG" scam before, and I strongly suspect it's still the same gang. Also, there was an IFN Finance scam which used the same banner graphics. Basically these guys favour three letter acronyms (TLAs), and change name to "FOO Finance" or "BAR Group" on a roughly monthly basis. It's always a money mule scam.

See also the document MCB_Application_Australia, which was attached to the email.

Domain ID:D153445557-LROR
Domain Name:MCB-GROUP.ORG
Created On:25-Jul-2008 14:12:52 UTC
Last Updated On:25-Jul-2008 14:12:52 UTC
Expiration Date:25-Jul-2009 14:12:52 UTC
Sponsoring Registrar:Directi Internet Solutions Pvt. Ltd. d/b/a PublicDomainRegistry.com (R27-LROR)
Registrant Email:oliver.w@safe-mail.net
Name Server:ERDOMAIN.MERCURY.ORDERBOX-DNS.COM
Name Server:ERDOMAIN.VENUS.ORDERBOX-DNS.COM
Name Server:ERDOMAIN.EARTH.ORDERBOX-DNS.COM
Name Server:ERDOMAIN.MARS.ORDERBOX-DNS.COM

Domain ID:D24464714-LRMS
Domain Name:EFG-GROUP.INFO
Created On:14-Apr-2008 07:09:26 UTC
Last Updated On:26-Jun-2008 13:00:17 UTC
Expiration Date:14-Apr-2009 07:09:26 UTC
Sponsoring Registrar:Directi Internet Solutions Pvt. Ltd. d/b/a PublicDomainRegistry.com (R159-LRMS)
Registrant Organization:PrivacyProtect.org
Name Server:ERDOMAIN.MERCURY.ORDERBOX-DNS.COM
Name Server:ERDOMAIN.VENUS.ORDERBOX-DNS.COM
Name Server:ERDOMAIN.EARTH.ORDERBOX-DNS.COM
Name Server:ERDOMAIN.MARS.ORDERBOX-DNS.COM

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: MCB Finance Group <mcb.group@safe-mail.net>
Date: Sun, Aug 3, 2008 at XX:XX
To: [redacted (privacy)]


Good day and thank you for enquiry. I have attached following documents for you: 


* Application_Australia.doc (Position description and application form) 

* Client_Agreement.rtf (Independent Contractor Agreement) 



What you have to do now: 


1) Download and open an application form and job description (Application_Australia.doc) first. 

2) If you agree with conditions please fill the form out and forward it back to us via e-mail 

(mcb.group@Safe-mail.net) (which is more preferable) or fax it to one of these numbers +1-973-215-4895,

+358-9-23-194-104. 

3) Fill the contract out (Client_Agreement.rtf) and send it back to us after one week of trial period(*). 

Once your personal details are received and processed, we will make our decision within 10 days and 

inform you when the first transfer occurs. Thank you and have a nice day. 



P.S 

* Trial period. It is not required to sign the contract in the beginning of your employment as the position 

we offer is part time. After one month of trial period we will reconsider you for full time employment.

PDF copies of all documents are to be found on our website (employment section). If you can not 

download them please let us know and we will send forms directly to you.


______

Oliver Lesken,

Billing Department,

MCB Finance Group,

http://mcb-group.org,

VOICE/FAX: +1-973-215-4895,

FAX: +358-923-194-104 (Finland).


Posted by Spotter at 01:26

5 comments:

jeweliette said...

Received e-mail today from MCB offering a job via Carol at seek.com.au. Since I am registered with them it was tempting. Instead I Googled MCB first and found your blog. Thankyou! Keep spreading the news. Lee-Ane

9:08 am, August 09, 2008
Anonymous said...

As Keela said I'm glad I Googled this first. Sadly not many will so several people will be stung by these scammers.

Thanks for keeping us informed.

6:10 am, August 13, 2008
Anonymous said...

I also received an e-mail from Venus Group Inc. regarding a Fiancial Manager position for escrows and on-line auctions. It referred to seeing my resume on Career Builder.com. I am glad I Googled your site first before I became another $ mule!

1:01 pm, February 02, 2009
Anonymous said...

I also received the Venus Group email, having claimed to have seen my resume on career builder. I knew it sounded too good to be true. Before looking at your website I wasn't sure what the scam was, just knew it had to be one!

6:40 am, March 01, 2009
Anonymous said...

From the State of Michiagan Job Site:

Check or Money Order Cashing Scam


Please DO NOT respond to these emails! If you think you have been a victim of fraud, please file a complaint with the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center at the link below.

FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center:


http://www.ic3.gov/

8:57 pm, March 05, 2009

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