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.

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Ken Allen Inc. Ltd

There are lots of "Ken Allens" in this world -- this one is a fake. The "from" address in the email used the domain name kenallen.co.uk, which evidently belongs to "Ken Allen's Compton Buildings Limited", and has absolutely nothing to do with this scam. The scammer doesn't want you to reply to that address -- he wouldn't receive the mail. Instead, replies are to go to a live.co.uk anonymous free webmail account.

The scam itself appears to be cheque fraud: the scammer wants you to receive and bank fraudulent cheques, then forward money via Western Union.

Note the curious similarity between this scam and the Jason Wang Co. spam, recently received. Can you spot it? It's fairly obvious. Can you explain this similarity?

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Ken Allen Inc. Ltd <[redacted (false)]>
Reply-to: kenalleninc@live.co.uk
Date: 2009/5/1 UTC
Subject: Job Opening Apply Within
To:


Dear Sir/Madam,

I represent Ken Allen Inc. Ltd based in the UK. My company exports finished leather products and other goods/services for world trade. Would you like to work online from home and get paid weekly? Ken Allen Inc needs a Book-Keeper in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, South America, Europe and Asia.

We are recruiting individuals to work for the company as a Representative/Book Keeper in the countries listed above. We have customers we supply weekly in these countries and our customers make payments for our supplies every week in form of Check and Wire Transfer.

So we need someone in the above regions listed above to work as our representatives/book keepers and assist us in processing the payments from our customers and we are offering 10% of the payment received which will be your payment for each transaction on every payment processed.

Responsibilities:
* Preparing purchase orders and checks for verification and signature
* Mailing out checks to customers and staffs
*Keeping of records of every transaction made
*Making out and Receiving payments

Any other related duties as may be reasonably assigned by the Accountant Our payments will be issued out in your name and you get them cashed in your bank deduct your commission and forward the balance to the company.

We understand it is an unusual and incredible job position. This job takes only 3-7 hours per week and you'll have a lot of free time doing another job, we are looking only for workers who satisfy our requirements and we would be glad if you accept this job offer.

Interested applicants/workers should reply filling the information below:
***********************************************************************************
Your Full Names:
Contact Address:
Occupation:
Home/Office Phone Number:
***********************************************************************************
The above information should be forwarded to me so we can start business.

NOTE: EMPLOYEES WITH COMPANY ACCOUNT WILL BE GRANTED PREFERENCE.

We await your swift response.

Yours Sincerely,
Dr. Ken Allen

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