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.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Marbella Incorporation

This spam gives no details regarding the job itself, but I'll take a bet that it's a money mule scam, probably involving direct funds transfer into the "employee" account, and then Western Union transfer to the scammers.

---------- Forwarded message ----------

Information for Australian Job Seekers!

Job Type: Part Time Manager
Location: Australian
Employee Type: Full/Part Time Employee

International company MARBELLA Incorporation looks for new employees. Vacancy: payment manager.Monday-Friday, 2.00PM-6.00PM. The initial Salary consists 6,000 AUD per month. Age: 21 and older.

Job Requirements

Minimum Requirements:
*Ability to communicate clearly and effectively
* Basic PC skills
PLEASE WRITE US FOR MORE INFORMATION: marbellaincorp@aol.com

See Yourself At Marbella.
See a company like no other.

We're a company living a clear vision; to be the best. In every area of our business. In everything we do.

3 comments:

diskincluded said...

Here's the "more information" you get when you email back.

marbellaincorp@aol.com
to me

show details
00:36 (14 hours ago)

Welcome to the world of your new employment and new business starts.

Marbella Inc. ( Money Bookers, Citibank partner).
Western Union big companies partnership was established in New York in 1851 as a telegraph company.
The company has been around so long, it has a long history. It was founded over 150 years ago and with over 271,000 physical locations around the world (in more than 200 countries), it is not only the largest money transfer network (it's over 4x larger than Money gram's network of 60,000 agents), it's also the fastest growing.
Western Union is the leading money transfer service and allows you to make money transfers online from the privacy of your home with your
Visa or MasterCard. A Western Union money order is similar to a bank's online wire transfer, except you are able to send it to any Western Union location (even if you don't have a bank account).

Wire transfer has become a very popular method of payment for banking transactions such as credit card balance transfers, personal account management - e.g.transferring funds from a savings account into a checking account - and ATM-card purchases at point of sale. Every time you swipe your ATM card at a
retailer, you are authorizing a wire transfer from the bank account associated with that card to the retailers bank account. A point of sale wire transfer is generally free to the customer, but a fee often accompanies other wire transfers.
Sometimes this is a flat fee, and in other cases it is based on a percentage of the total funds being transferred. This is often true when credit card balances are transferred.
Companies such as Western Union offer an alternate, anonymous method of wire transfer. Western Union maintains outlets worldwide so that wire transfers can be electrically sent between these outlets. Therefore, you can walk into a Western Union in Arizona, for example, and send 100 US dollars (USD) to the Western Union in the Bahamas simply by paying the Arizona office the cash plus any fees. Your friend in the Bahamas can go to the Western Union to receive the 100 USD in cash within minutes. The money is transferred electronically.
A wire transfer is handy when someone does have access to a bank account, but it also has drawbacks. If a wire transfer is used to purchase something from a private party, the seller can provide false information to the sender of the wire transfer. Funds can be collected at the receiving end under the false bank account, and the party can disappear without ever providing the promised goods. Law enforcement is also concerned about subversive organizations using the anonymous method of bank wire transfer to fund illegal activities.

A Western Union transfer has the advantage of being much more secure and desirable than other forms of payment. Western Union transfers even save paper by reducing the need for checks and deposit slips, making them more environmentally friendly than standard forms of banking. To find out how you can benefit from Western Union transfers for automatic order payment and other services that reduce hassle and paper, contact your banking institution.
Marbella Inc. is the largest Western Union processing system for private and corporative clients, we offer fast, secure, and guarantee the in time payment and providing the promised goods. If the client use our services, he can be sure that we will find seller ID, verify information on promised goods, and we will prepare Western Union payment from client to seller. Only after this procedure seller can send goods and recieve MTCN (Money Transfer Control Number) as payment.

Employment in our company "Marbella Inc. payment agent":

We are looking new employees in Spain, Denmark, USA, Australia, Canada, All Europe.

Our business is growing in USA. During last 3 years, 11 000 orders has been processed successfull. New employees will be providing fast and quality services for our clients in local regions.
Demands of the post "Marbella Union Inc. payment agent" :
- 18 years and older male, female
- available PC, internet access
- MS Word, Excel, Acrobat Reader
- cell phone
- basic English
- bank account

a. You must be an individual at least 18 years of age and be able to form legally binding contracts under applicable law. You must have a valid postal mailing address and an active e-mail address. Other restrictions may apply. You acknowledge that by initiating an employment, you are requesting that Marbella Inc.
clients can send funds to your account and wait for finished process your Transaction to seller, an offer which Marbella Inc. may accept at its sole discretion from its place of business in New York, California.

b. Pickup, Delivery, and Direct Deposit. Marbella Inc. works with correspondent banks, money exchange houses, and other third party funds handlers (each, an"LMA") to send to "Marbella Inc. payment agent". Execution by "Marbella Inc. payment agent" by Direct Deposit, Delivery, PickUp. Direct Deposit means that the client funds shall be delivered directly into the "Marbella Inc. payment agent" bank account. Delivery means that funds shall be delivered by "Marbella Union Inc. payment agent" to the Recipient at the address client provide. Pickup means that the Recipient can go to an authorized Western Union branch office to receive funds, in person.

c. Payment Sources. You pay for the Western Union Service using Marbella Inc. client transfer amount (each, a "Payment Source"), depending on the state of your residence and the service you select. You authorized to receive transfer amount in cash from the account associated with your "Marbella Inc. payment agent" post.
You authorized to send transfer via Western Union to the provided information by email from Marbella Union Inc. You authorized to pay bank's fee and Western Union fee from the amount that has been deposited by Marbella Inc. client , you will not pay fees from your own funds.

d. Fees Imposed by Other Financial Institutions. Marbella Inc. does not control and is not responsible in any manner for access to "Marbella Inc. payment agent" account. Marbella Union Inc. does not control and is not responsible in any manner for any fees or charges that is not associated to "Marbella Union Inc. payment agent" activity, that may be imposed by your financial institution(s) associated with your account.
e. "Marbella Inc. payment agent" work hours and Salary: Regular salary 2,600 USD (2,000 EUR for Europe) per week. "Marbella Inc. payment agent" is authorized to deduct 8% from every amount that has been deposited by Marbella Inc. client, this amount will be not less than 320.00 USD per one processed transfer. Rest part shall be delivered by "Marbella Inc. payment agent" to the Recipient at the address client provide. Working hours for "Marbella Inc. payment agent" are next 2 hours, after the transfer has been deposited to the "Marbella Inc. payment agent" account.
Work day example: Marbella Inc. payment agent should check personal email 3 times per day (9.00, 14.00, 18.00). Company will send information about wire deposit every day (monday-friday) not later 10.00 AM (our manager will call you and inform about sent deposit amount). Information will include next: Deposit amount, sender information, reciever information, salary calculating. Agent should check bank account and confirm via email received transfer. Agent should complete transfer to receiver during next 2 (two) hours and provide Money Transfer Contol Number via email (or by phone) to Marbella Union Inc. head office.
Agent can use taxi or another transport, this charges are paid from the company funds ( 30.00 USD per day limit).

! Special offer for little and big companies - we can offer strong relationship, money transfer certificate.
If you are business account holder - welcome to our corporation.


To start employment process please send your name , address information (fill the form below), and our manager will call you next business day.

*First name:
*Last name:
*Country :
*State:
*City:
*Address:
*Postal zipcode:
*Land Phone :
*Cell phone :
*E-mail:


Employment contract: http://marbellaincorp.com/contract_32239.pdf

our website: http://marbellaincorp.com/


fax: +1845-853-1512 , Marbella Inc. PO Box 470 Thiells, NY 10984

Fill it and make sign, send it to our e mail during next 24 hours.

Regards James Davis, head-coordinator.

Spotter said...

What an awful lot of waffle! Allow me to summarise. They want people to assist with illegal money laundering by shuffling fraudulently obtained money around. This is what's called a "money mule" job, like I said.

E. Ericksson said...

This is a worry because I suspect this 'job advertisement' may have been sent to my entire university student database (Australian Catholic University). I don’t know how they sent it to us considering emails can only be sent from the other ACU email addresses. I thought it a bit odd just from one read. Thank you for your post on this.