Response from an Office Work Pirate

[Horn]

I'm always looking over the internet these days for small side jobs, Once in a while I pick up on these non-descript adds companies have running off the Craigs List that require a credit report to offer employment.

Here is a sample of one such communication.


Thank you for e-mailing us. The responsibilities of employment are as follows: you will be answering the phone and taking messages when needed, you will work on scheduling our company meetings, and running errands for us for things such as purchasing office supplies and making bank deposits, and we will provide the company car. While you are running errands, you will always be given one of our company credit card(s) for all business purchases.

You definitely seem one of the more qualified people than others we have received emails from today. I would like to take the next step with you; however, before I can set up an interview, we will require that you obtain a recent (past 14-21 business days) credit report. We at XXX Corporation enforce this because we have unfortunately had some bad experiences with prior employees taking advantage of having access to company credit card. In recent studies, we have also discovered people that have lower than usual scores are linked to more fraud at place of employment. Again, in order to preserve ourselves we will require any applicants to fill out a credit report, at zero cost to you.

Both myself and XXX heavily prefer it if you Click Here to acquire this information as they are currently offering a credit report, at zero cost to you (If you go through the link, we can cover any costs or fees). We at XXX Corporation have also found that their scores always report back the most factual and accurate information compared to others. All potential applicants are to complete this step as suggested by our branch of the BBB(Better Business Bureau).

After you submit all necessary information, their company will show you your personal credit report. Then, you will need to email me your reported credit score, and we will then be able to schedule for an interview. I ask you to not email me your entire credit report, as it will most likely have private information in the report. If you currently have a lower than expected credit score, it will not prevent you from a future interview with us.

If you don't wish to participate and fill out our credit score it is not an issue, XXX will just interview one of the different applicants.

Personally, I am excited and looking forward to your quick response.

Good luck,

Mr. Johansen

blah,blah,blah





Response:

Eat my Johnson, Johansen. <--- I didn't really respond with that

The fact you need a third party to determine trust for you makes me realize your company doesn't stand a chance in this economy anyway.

What a shame, I'm sure if you took the time to meet me you could trust me.

[Ponce]

Did they "forget" to asked you for your credit card number? hahahaahahahahah

[Libertytree]

About 3 years ago I applied at a swimming pool company and was hired. I went in for my first day on the job but was told they couldn't hire me after all, because my credit score was too low. I raised a bit of a fuss but it was pointed out to me that I had indeed authorized the credit check when filling out the employment paperwork.

[chad]

i haven't had a credit card since about 1990, nor any loans of any kind. when i went to buy my house this past spring the bank lady was like "uh, you don't exist in the credit reporting system." it was kind of funny.

[Horn]

I've guess you've guys have seen all the young & "hip" commercials...?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPDdxwiRIl4

[Horn]

Looks like all the bailout money went to making commercials.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tloVHJtrJ_k

[undgrd]

Interesting. It never crossed the minds of the people in charge NOT to trust someone they just hired with Bank Deposit runs and an Amex Black Card?

That, or this is a scam to get your credit info...funny either way.

Carry On!

[horseshoe3]

...or this is a scam to get your credit info...

Nailed it. If they want a credit report on you, they are perfectly capable of getting it themselves. This was just a fishing expidition trying to get you to give them your information.

[Horn]

...or this is a scam to get your credit info...

Nailed it. If they want a credit report on you, they are perfectly capable of getting it themselves. This was just a fishing expidition trying to get you to give them your information.


I'm wondering if they don't get subsidized by the banks by how many fish they can catch & throw back in the water?

Another marketing campaign to push the credit score lifeline angle.

[TheNocturnalEgyptian]

So people who need to get out of debt, aren't allowed to work? What kind of bullshit has our world come to.

[Horn]

So people who need to get out of debt, aren't allowed to work? What kind of bullsh*t has our world come to.


If you enroll to the "monitoring" service (with fees), I imagine your score would improve simply based on that.

[Twisted Titan]

They can kiss my silver @$$

Nobody is getting that info unless I am doing a financial transaction


How I can file a paper or hammer a screw has nothing to do with my FICO ( like a give a rip about it anyways)


T

[SilverMagnet]

Almost as good as the Africon Consulate emails requesting you send your bank account info over so that they can transfer XXX million into your account from their dead relative's inheritance.

[PatColo]

So people who need to get out of debt, aren't allowed to work? What kind of bullsh*t has our world come to.


in many cases it gets worse,

Disturbing Job Ads: 'The Unemployed Will Not Be Considered' (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/04/disturbing-job-ads-the-un_n_600665.html?source=patrick.net)

as to the email in the OP, it oozes scam, unprofessional text, where to begin, well a dick stabbing maybe. You might forward it to some alphabet agency, FTC? nah, F them. I imagine their racket is in that promise to repay you any fees you'll pay their "preferred agency", thus the report is "free to you", then of course they never repay jack should you be naive enough to buy a report from them-- they are the company they point you to to buy the report, some boiler room in the Caribbean (or tel aviv), when they scam enough people they'll just blow that hot dog stand and disappear. Oh and in addition to the phat fee they'll charge, you'll also have given them everything an identity thief could dream of, and you'll have paid them to hand it to them.

disgusting racket, preying on desperate unemployed. maybe submit it to craigslist's "scam" page, so they can maybe do something about blocking that user/IP/etc from posting their scam ads.

ETA: tracert the IP the email came from, see whereabouts it originated. then again, a racket like them prolly uses a bunch of proxys like spammers to obfuscate the origin. Still be interesting, who knows?

[Ash_Williams]

Total scam.

Where does the "click here" link go? I bet that page is already down. It was just a page to steal credit card numbers.

With your resume attached they more information than usual, including current work information. The more information you have, the more the credit card number is worth for resale.

If the link still works, go fill it out with bogus info. Credit card numbers have to fit a formula but you can find fake ones that match online and will validate. Paste one of those in and fill out the rest of the app as "Mr. Biggus Dickus".

[Horn]

Disturbing Job Ads: 'The Unemployed Will Not Be Considered' (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/04/disturbing-job-ads-the-un_n_600665.html?source=patrick.net)


Another scary thought is that many of the more technical positions require experience on the latest released version of a certain software.

The longer this unemployment slump goes on, the more of those candidates will be sliding off the face of the planet.

[Horn]

Nailed another, this one was a second reply email.

I really gotta start looking elsewhere for side dough, I guess?



Hello,

I received your application,I'm sure you'll understand I tend to have a very busy schedule at this point. Please note that this position is not office based for now because of my frequent travels and tight schedules, it's a part-time, work from home basis and the flexibilty means that there will be busier weeks than others, so it's a little difficult judging the exact number of hours you'll be doing per week.If you can manage your time properly, this job may even give you some extra while you do something else on the side.

As I have said, I'd want us to get a head start with things as soon as possible. I do have a pile up of work and a number of unattended chores which you can immediately assist me with, I hope we can meet up with the workload eventually. Permit me to use this coming week to test your efficiency and diligence towards all this, also to work out your time schedule and fit it to mine. I really need to find the perfect person for this job, I'm confident you can take up the challenge and on the long run we should have a relatively sound working relationship between us.


I am glad you are willing to work with me and i promise to be a good boss.I am also glad on the commitment in working. I have been checking my files and what i would want you to do for me next week is to do shopping for office equipment/printing materials for my new office,A check will be mail to you from a Client next week , the money is needed to get some Tools need for my new office.

So the payment you are receiving is for my Client and the Money is Needed to furnish my New Office , the Money is needed to get some Equipments and tools into the Office .


So once you received the Check all needed of you to do is for you to deduct your $550 weekly Pay from it and send the remaining money to the Manager to arrnage those Tools inside the Office ,

I want you to email me back soon as you received this message for me to be rest assure you are still with me .

I await your mail..

Thanks

[Ash_Williams]

That one is a more common scam where they send you an excessively large money order "by mistake", and ask you to cash it then return the extra amount. The trick is the large money order is actually fake but usually the bank won't figure that out for a few days. So you mail the "employer" (or "buyer", in another variation of the scam) some cash or a real money order, and a few days later the bank phones to let you know that your original money order isn't worth anything.