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.

Thursday, January 04, 2007

UNICEF (impostors)

This money mule job has one of the more ludicrous cover stories I've heard.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Patrick Evans < managementunicef@gmail.com>
Reply-To: managementunicef@gmail.com
Date: 03-Jan-2007 11:28
Subject: A Representative Is Needed  (JOB OFFER)
To: ideceive@gmail.com

Pleasant Day, United Nation International Children and Educational Fund (UNICEF), a humanitarian organization under United Nation Organization (UNO) urgently needs you as a Representative to be Our Cashier in U.S.A. There are various donors who are willing to raise funds to assist the less privileged in various societies from U.S.A and we need your services as a Representative to receive these various donations from U.S.A. You will be offered 10% commission for your services rendered. Your commission will be based on 10% of donation from each Individual. If you are interested in Representing UNICEF and Our offer of 10% commission, get back to us immediately. Regards, Patrick Evans, Coordinator Desk, UNICEF. For further questions and enquiries, you can mail the Management desk, Humanitarian department, UNICEF, U.S.A through the following email: managementunicef@gmail.com.

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