I was just looking for some extra cash and came across a position on monster.com and careerbuilder.com. It was for a representative needed to wire transfer funds. Being that I am young and inexperienced I didnt really think much of it. They made the position seem legit, expecially considering it was on a trusted career site. They proclaimed that wire transfering was a need in new technologies over the internet, and that the job duties entialed having a open banking account and legit drivers liscense.
I trusted it because it was on a career site, I would of never thought it to be some sort of scam. I filled out an application and they said the needed to confirm that my banking account was active, so I gave them my information.
After filling it out, they requested copy of my drivers liscense to me sent to them, and I really had no idea why, but because it seemed to be easy money, I sent it. I though it was just common procedure like going to any interview.
Months later I never heard anything from them and them recieved this check in the mail for 2500. I forgot I even applied for this position, and thought it was an advance I had been trying to recieve online. It looked like a real electronic check, so I called the bank It came from to inquire. They did in fact verify that it was the persons real personal account and it was a accurate check.
So I deposited it, but since it still sounded fishy, it remains in my account. I began to research this act, since family encouraged me it was some type of scam. Anything that seems too good to be true, really is. So I did my research and came across all this information on the same type of job ordeal.
It was completely a scam in which COUNTERIFIT checks, or STOLEN money is sent to you, and as soon as you transfer the money, its nowhere to be found again.
Pretty much the scam trend it some crook steals your idenity, sends you bogus checks from previous stolen identities, and forges the counterfit checks or stolen checks to you. Once you depostit the money, they tell you to keep a certain percetage for the wire transfer. They tell you to transfer it to a foreign country usually, wich in my case it was ethiopia.
What happens is that when the check tries to clear, anywhere from 7-21 days later, the bank comes back on you saying the check was counterfit or someones stolen money, and you OWE THE BANK THE WHOLE AMOUNT OF THE MONEY THAT WAS TRANSERED. There is no way to stop it unless you catch it before it happens.
Luckily in my case, I found this website. I was almost about to transfer it so I could use my portion of the money, but then I found all these incidents in wich people ended up owing thousands of dollars to their banks, and on top of it all, the crook will take YOUR IDENTIY AND FORGE FUTURE CHECKS TO OTHERS IN YOUR NAME, all comming back on you. They can also open up credit accounts in your name, or steal any other money you have in you bank account.
The best advice I have is to STAY AWAY. I had no idea that it is illegal to ask for they type of personal information over the internet. No one should ever need to give out their drivers liscence, social, or banking info over the internet for a job. If you see someplace asking, STAY AWAY, IT IS A SCAM.
If you are a vicim, or believe to be a victim, report it right away. You need to make a criminal report with the police department, contact the IRS, contact every credit bureau to put a fraud alert on your accounts, close all existing bank accounts and open up new ones, and worst of all, go through the trouble of a new liscence id and social. You may even have the extra costs of lawyers if found guilty of a crime, like stolen money.
I have not witnesed any counterfit check, or stolen money yet, but I caught it soon enough to report it to my bank, credit bearuas, police, and so forth. I am currently waiting for the check to clear to find out. I also luckily still have the money in a new account now, as I closed out the old one.
I hope all go's well for me and I caught this scam soon enought to pay the aftermath. But lesson was definately learned in this whole proccess. If something seems too good to be true, it really is too good to be true!!!
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