I came home last Friday night to find this sitting in my email:
~
from Alan Erickson [email protected]
to bcc *
dateFri, Jul 15 at 3:11 PM
subject Administrative Assistant need
mailed-by_gmail.com
signed-by_gmail.com
hide details Jul 15 (4 days ago)
Administrative Assistant need ASAP.
Please contact me and send me your resume if you are interested.
Hope to hear from you,
Regards,
~
So I was curious and responded with my resume attached. I got a reply the next day:
~
from Alan Erickson [email protected]
to *
date Sat, Jul 16 at 4:51 PM
subject Re: Administrative Assistant need
mailed-by_gmail.com
signed-by_gmail.com
Important mainly because it was sent directly to you.
Hide details Jul 16 (2 days ago)
Armadillo Corporation Ltd.
8045 East Quincy Avenue,
Denver, CO 80237
Job ID 21388706-10
Company Name: Armadillo Corporation Ltd
Job Category: Administrative Assistant
Location: Online
Office: Online.
Position Type: Full-Time / Part Time.
Experience: 0-1 Years Experience
Salary: $28 per Hr.
POSITION SUMMARY:
Handle inbound phone inquiries, covering a full range of customer services in a prompt and professional manner, obtaining all information for resolution of transactions.
MAJOR DUTIES:
Answer customer questions regarding billing, service problems, products and features.
Correct errors and discrepancies on customer billings as necessary.
Target customer interests with a variety of product and service offerings.
Prepare work orders for maintenance requests after determining if field visits are required, and ensure appropriate follow-up procedures are met.
Perform billing and posting of customer accounts. Resolve delinquent account balances
Sell a variety of products and services to our customers through effective consultation on every interaction.
Obtain assistance from Coordinator or Supervisor for complex inquiries.
Perform other related duties as required.
Required Skills:
QUALIFICATIONS:
High school diploma or the recognized equivalent in work experience and self-study.
Previous customer service.
Personal computer knowledge necessary
Excellent written, oral, interpersonal communication and problem solving skills.
After Review of your Resume at www.bestjobsca.com You have been considered and selected for the above job position. An Interview has been scheduled for you, it would hold Monday July 18th by 9am (Central Standard Time). The Interview would be conducted online through YAHOO INSTANT MESSAGING. You are advised to download a yahoo messenger and add MR. Alan Erickson (H. R Manager). This is his yahoo id: [email protected]
Make sure you add him to your messenger and you are online for the Interview by 9am (Central Standard Time).
This is an online job so all your assignments would be forwarded to you and submitted back by either fax, regular mail, email, phone or IM (instant messaging).
All activities and corresponding time are to be recorded in excel spreadsheet. That's how we access your work and process your pay.
Recruitment Office.
~
I was absolutely excited and waited for the interview patiently. When Monday rolled around and the time hit 9:00am (CST), my interviewer was no where to be found. When he finally showed up it was 30mins passed the appointment time.
Nevertheless, the interview went smoothly and at the end of the session, MR. Erickson concluded the interview with an email labeled "Payroll" (he asked me to wait and forwarded the email within 2mins)."Hey, you're hired! Instantly!" You'd figure a big company like ACL would take their time considering the right candidates. Guess not?
~
from Alan Erickson [email protected]
to *
date Mon, Jul 18 at 11:10 AM
subject PAYROLL
mailed-by_yahoo.com
signed-by_yahoo.com
Important mainly because of the people in the conversation.
Hide details Jul 18 (1 day ago)
Your application is successful. The Quality of your response was highly considered by me you were selected. You start up firstly with the training process which would last for a week and then full start-up. This is just a formal mail to inform you that you have been selected for this Job and to get ready for start up. Appointment letter and others would be mailed to the address you would provide us to be delivered next week after the test of duty/Trust. Now let me give you insight to the Job in question, your duties, How to get started and your Benefits.
JOB DETAILS -
Working from home with the company's provided computer is a broad expatiation's of how the online duty is performed working from home... You are required to use the equipments because there is a wide range of software installed on the system to protect data, ease duty, and also enhance speed and accuracy of duty online. The Company's equipment that would be shipped to you is liable to be yours (Ownership) after a period of 2 months of working with the Company.
We are not deducting funds from your payroll for Taxes; all Our Online staffs are expected to complete their taxes forms after payroll by themselves.
The Company is running the Online Recruiting as a temporary measure towards the completion of our Centers around the United states and Canada, So most of our online staffs would have the first hand opportunity to apply to become permanent staffs when these centers are opened. We are certified and also registered with the Better Business Bureau. So I can assure you that you have been offered a great opportunity to perform, giving your best to performing Data Entry duties in exchange for a good pay.
The company's Home Business Unit is under URL change and it involves a very high re-organizational process that involves bringing all our online staffs to log-on on the same Network Online with their staff ID. Then after 7 business days each online staffs can have a log on ID/Password to get access to their duties online while still communicating with their supervisors.
PAYROLL ROUTINE -
Please provide answers to the following schedule so we could update your folder on the administrative desk.
1. How many hours are you willing to Work per day? 2. What time range. (Morning Section 8am-12noon or Afternoon section 3pm-6pm)? 3. Payroll Interval... (Weekly or Bi-weekly)? 4. Payroll Method. Check or Direct deposit? 5. We offer $28/HR.
Basically before you get started, the company would be providing you with funds to purchase some important software required for the duty in question and then you will be receiving equipments from the Company. Dell Notebook LaptopPentium D Duo Processor, All in one Printer, Scanner and Fax Machine with a wide range of software already installed on the system against hacking.
TEST OF DUTY/TRUST -
Test of duty/trust would involve you handling funds on behalf of the company to purchase the needed software and also to handle the shipment of your mini office equipment. The test of trust is your first call to duty, this will be your first assignment before you begin your training, You will be receiving a payment from the company shortly and would be required to follow proper directions, Accurate deduction and documentation is expected from you. This would be the only payment you will be required to handle on your own. All other future payments would be forwarded by you to the company's accounting details which will be readily made available for you upon your start.
IMPORTANT:
Make sure you send your contact details and your answers to the payroll questions, so that it can be forwarded to the company's accounting department for processing, also for you to be able to receive your test of duty/trust package.
Details should be sent in the format below:
Your full name...
Age:...
Gender:...
Address...
Not (p.O. Box) City...
State...
Zip Code...
Phone #home...
Cell #...
Email...
I look forward working with you as an online staffs. I will be waiting for your detailed response so that we can move on to the next phase.
Best Regards,
Alan EricksonHead of Resource for Online StaffArmadillo Corporation Ltd
~
At this point, I began to wonder about the spelling and grammatical errors within this new "payroll" email, as well as the horrible layout that these cluster of words have been placed in. Don't big companies usually have a web-designer for this? You know, to make things look pretty?
While still on Yahoo chat with him, he asked me how I'd like to be paid and I replied "check". Then he was a little hesitant and ask if I had an RBC account (Royal Bank of Canada) because "the company only works with RBC", where the payments'd be made with direct deposits.
I told him I'd open an account with RBC asap within the same day. So later on in the afternoon I went and got the account ready, came home at around 4pm thinking MR. Erickson was gone for the day (it's been 4-5 hours), but HE WAS STILL THERE! In fact, I think he was actually waiting for me. As soon as I sent him an email about successfully setting up an RBC account, he messaged me with a reply on yahoo messenger again. He then told me to have my account ready for online access, for he was going to forward me the fund to pay for the shipping of "company's equipment." Interviewed, hired, money transferred all on the same day!? Boy, and I thought I was excited. Even though after reading the "Payroll" email above I was suspicious about that part where he says "we're going to transfer you a fund to pay for the shipment of OUR equipment." I didn't expect that to happen all on the same day.
At any rate, the account was not ready for online transaction, so the conversation finally ended there. Mr. Erickson promised another appointment with me at the same time the next day so he could finally transfer that fund to me. He also emphasized on the issue that "the equipment must arrive and set up before training can begin."
Later in the evening, I was telling my hubby about the eventful day when he got extra suspicious. He then showed me this link that shot the jolt of realization into me:
http://usacomplaints.com/bad-check-writers/armadillo-publishing/armadillo-publishing-ltd-vict-6abff.htm
The layout of the ad is exactly the same! Word for word, it was as if MR. Alan Erickson had based his ad off the scammer mentioned, Jasmine Hopkins!
I started doing research then and found the same ad from Alan Erickson here:
http://www.winnipegjobbank.com/job-id-4932.html
It included his business email as: [email protected]
Then I also found (thanks to the hubby): http://www.armadillocorporation.com/index.php? Option=com_content&view=article&id=51: recruitment&catid=31: personnel-details
The second sentence of the second paragraph of the article clearly states that "If you respond to anyone not using this site address ([email protected]) then you are NOT responding to us."
Right now, I pray to God that nobody has follow to his traps yet. Hopefully my experiences can help those of you out there who're confused about the potentiality of these scams. Please definitely look out for anyone who approaches you with the same types of lure:
1. Offers of high hourly payments
2. Working from home/online offices
3. Jobs requiring close to 0 experiences in the field
4.instant "You're hired!" alert
~
Now, one'd think my story ended there. But it did not. I guess since I sounded so very sincere the first day, when I was nowhere to be found on the second day (I was planning to just leave the whole ordeal at that, and a no-show on the second appointment), MR. Erickson came after me!
First he text-ed to me on my phone through yahoo messenger, urging me to come online, then he actually CALLED me!
On my phone, a number was displayed: 234-802-8300785
I guess it was through Yahoo calling (I'm actually not an yahoo messenger user, so I don't know if it has that function). On the other side of the line, a deep male voice with an Indian accent came on. "Hello *? This is Alan. I want to talk to you, can you come online now?" At that point, I was so frustrated with him that I decided to try to figure out MR. Erickson. I wanted to see if I could find some clues about this person. Below is the conversation we had TODAY, July 19th:
~
Show Recent Messages (F3)
*: hello
Alan Erickson: How are you
*: just got home from my current job
Alan Erickson: Ok
Alan Erickson: I hope it was not stressful
*: it was alright, thank you for your concerns
Alan Erickson: You are welcome
Alan Erickson: have you activated the account to an online
access?
*: yes, since last night.
Alan Erickson: ok
Alan Erickson: just want to know
Alan Erickson: We are going to proceed now
Alan Erickson: that is why i called you to come online
*: before we start, may I ask some questions?
Alan Erickson: Ok
Alan Erickson: go ahead
*: I've searched for the job id within the main site
last night, I've found no results on the job information, is there a page where
I can find the information?
Alan Erickson: Sure, but we are working on the page now, it
will come up in 2 days time
*: ah i see, that's why
Alan Erickson: But don't worry. As i told you yesterday, our
office staff will come over to your place, once the Equipment has been
delivered to you
Alan Erickson: ok
*: sorry, what equipments are they?
Alan Erickson: Ok let me send it to you
Alan Erickson: EQUIPMENTS:
Hp Laptop
Laser Printer
Fax machine
Scanner
Copier (large)
Laminating machine
W5 cartridges
Fellwes Micro_shred
Confetti-cut
Paper shreddera
*: ok, hence my assumptions are that the equipments will
cost a great amount for shipping, right?
Alan Erickson: Everything will be delivered to you thursday
morning and our engineer and worker will come to your place
*: my concerns are right now that when the money is
forwarded to me, would it be alright for me to wait for 8 business days until
the transaction is complete, and the money is properly sent to my account?
*: to prevent scamming intents.
Alan Erickson: It won't take 8 days
*: it is usually how long canadian banks take
*: otherwise i shall not accept a scam.
*: I'm sorry, but this is a rather serious matter, I
won't take it lightly.
Alan Erickson: hold on
Alan Erickson: I want to ask you something
*: feel free
Alan Erickson: I think we have to leave the account till
next week.
*: Excuse me, but what would that mean?
Alan Erickson: Since you just open the account, the bank
will not put the money on hold
Alan Erickson: But we can transfer the sum of $1000 to your
HSBC Account through Etaract
*: you seem to change your mind quite often.
Alan Erickson: so you can pay for the delivery of the
Equipment.
Alan Erickson: you can use the RBC to recieve your Salary
*: I see, I'll try to find my HSBC account info right
now then.
Alan Erickson: All you have to give me is Account name and
Email that you use to set up the HSBC account.
Alan Erickson: Once we transfer the money, you will accept
the transfer from your Email account
*: I can't find a void check, but I've forwarded my
account number to your business email.
*: I believe that'll work
Alan Erickson: hold on let me check
Alan Erickson: Where to did you send it to?
*: [email protected]
Alan Erickson: [email protected]
*:
http://www.armadillocorporation.com/index.php? Option=com_content&view=article&id=51: recruitment&catid=31: personnel-details
*: I figured I should follow the instructions on the
site, forgive me if that confused you.
Alan Erickson: What is that?
*: the recruitment site
*: Do you know anything about the person Jasmine
Hopkins?
Alan Erickson: What are you talking about?
Alan Erickson: I can see that you are no longer interested
Alan Erickson is typing...
Alan Erickson: i will advice you to look for another job
*: And I advise you to stop scamming people, this
conversation, and the number you dailed to reach me will be reported.
*: so is your name really Alan Erickson?
~
The End.
I may not have done much to help stop his doings, in fact I suspect he is still online somewhere on the globe trying to scam another person at this very moment. But the conversation above reveals a pattern of how he types. Please, all of you who are reading this, look out for those who offer you a job position that seem too good to be true, with the absence of some professional English in his dialog. Because if someone from a famous company would not be professional about what he/she's doing, who would?
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