Showing posts with label scam. Show all posts
Showing posts with label scam. Show all posts

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Résumé Adventure #17: Secret Shopper Scam!

For Résumé Adventure #17, I am responding to a clearly fraudulent email from a recruiter claiming that he works for a secret shopping service called Customer Perspectives. You can read the email below...I have excerpted the whole thing in its entirety, including tons of dead-give-away grammatical and structural errors that just scream not-too-bright scam artist. Between you and me...I know this job is a total fake and I am not going to get involved with this recruiter beyond sending in my sarcastic cover letter, which you can ch-ch-ch-check out below. I hope it teaches that scam-tard a lesson. I seem to get these sort of fake employment emails frequently, but this one is a little different because the sender seems to be impersonating a legitimate business. So after I send out my cover letter to this fake recruiter, I am going to call the real Customer Perspectives company up and let them know what is going on. Being unemployed gives me lots of time to fight crime and evil doers! You should read what the Better Business Bureau wrote about this scam.

You forget what shopping looks like when you have been unemployed for as long as I have. 
I think it looks like this (photo by epSos.de via Flickr). 


The Recruitment Email


"Hello,

Our company conducts surveys and evaluate other companies. We get hired to go to other peoples companies and act like customers in order to know how the staffs and personnel there handle company services in relation to their customers. Once we have a contract to do you would be directed to the company or outlet and you would be given the funds you need to do the job (either purchase things or require services) after which you would write a comment on the staffs activities and give a detailed record of your experience. Examples of details you would forward to us are;

1) How long it took you to get services.
2) Smartness of the attendant.
3) Customer service professionalism.
4) Sometimes you might be required to upset the attendant to see how they react to clients when they get tensed (under pressure).

'When performance is measured and reported, service improves. When performance is measured, reported and shared with employees, service accelerates.company representatives play in driving purchase intent. Most companies employ our assistance when people give complaints about their services or when they feel there is need for them to improve their service.

JOB DESCRIPTIONS?
1. Receive payment from a mystery shopper in form of certified check/money order
2. Cash and Deduct $250 which will be your salary.
3. Forward balance after deduction salary to a mystery shopper whose information will be provided in subsequents emails via an outlet you will be evaluating

DO YOU NEED TO PAY FOR THE TRANSFER FEE FROM YOUR PERCENTAGE?

No you do not have to; all necessary transfer fees should be deducted from the balance after you must have cashed and deduct your $250 from the total money Received after cashing.

ADVANTAGES

You do not have to go out as you will work as an independent
contractor right from your home / office.
Your job is absolutely legitimate.
You can earn up To 3000- 4000USD monthly depending on time you will
spend for this job.
You do not need any capital to start.
You can do the work easily without leaving or affecting your present
Job.The employees who make efforts and work hard have a strong possibility to become managers.Anyway our employees never leave us.

MAIN REQUIREMENTS,
18 years or older, Legally capable, Responsible, Ready to work 3-4 hours per week. With PC knowledge, E-mail and Internet experience (minimal)

Your identity would be kept confidential as the job states (secret shopper) you would be pain $250 for every survey you carry out bonus
on
Your transportation allowance and funds would be given to you if you have to dine as part of the duty.

Your job will be to evaluate and comment on customer service in a wide
variety of shops, stores, restaurant and services in your area. No
commitment is made on this job and you would have the flexible hours as it
suits you.

If you are interested do send in your:

(I)Your Full Name:
(II)Your Residential address:
City:
State:
Zip Code:
(III)Present work address:
(IV)Home and mobile Phone numbers:
(V)Email address:
(VI)Your age and Current Occupation:
(VII) Your Gender:

So we can look at your distance from the locations which you have to put your service into, and your address would also be needed for your payments. We also implore you to send a scanned copy of any form of identification for the processing of your application form and also for record purpose but if you cannot provide it presently then you can provide it later..

Are you a U.S. citizen or otherwise authorized to work in the U.S._______

PLEASE NOTE: ONLY INTERESTED APPLICANTS SHOULD RESPOND. AND CHECK YOUR EMAIL BACK FOR RESPONSE WITHINT 24  HOURS............

Regards,
Thanks.
Hiring Manager.
Thomaks tura
Customer Perspectives"


My Cover Letter


Dear Thomaks tura,

Thank you for sending me an email about your secret shopper job opportunity. Actually, scratch that. No thank-you. I wish you never sent me this job opportunity because it is clearly a BIG STUPID WTF SCAM. You really suck at putting together a believable recruitment email. Really, you do. Let me tell you how I knew your recruitment email was a scam-tard fake:

First of all, your spelling sucks, you don't structure anything consistently, you don't punctuate properly, and you don't use words or symbols that a fluent English speaker would use. You didn't even capitalize your own last name! You are clearly living somewhere over-seas and you obviously have a very poor concept of American vernacular. Or worse yet, you just think that all Americans are hopelessly dumb. Well, I certainly am not dumb and I find your lack of attention to detail annoying and insulting. For god's sake man, the website of the company that you are impersonating doesn't have the same sort of flawed language as your email. No legitimate company would ever let an email that was brimming with so many errors go out into the world as a representation of their work. I know ninja kittens who write better letters than you. 

Second, your email address name doesn't match the name that you sign-off with. Nor does your email address match that of the Customer Perspectives contacts. Company employees generally do not use gmail addresses for official business and if they do, they do not use the phrase "handsome1" as you have done. I would be a whole week's ration of Flaming Cheetos that you are not even handsome. Why do you have to turn me into a player hater like that? You make me player hate you.

Third, um, dude, seriously, anything involving the LAUNDERING OF CERTIFIED CHECKS is BLATANTLY CRIMINAL. WTF ARE YOU THINKING?

Fourth, in the United States, it is ILLEGAL to ask for the candidate's age in a job post or employment application. No legitimate company or recruiter would ever do that.

Fifth, the fact that you have to stress the legitimacy of your job opportunity and how wonderful it is means that you are over-compensating for the fact that it is indeed fake and total bullshit.

But, um, despite all of that, I am going to answer your ridiculous little survey anyway:

(I)Your Full Name: MOONBOW ROLLINGS
(II)Your Residential address: ROT IN A CHEETO-LESS HELL!
City: TAKE A LONG WALK OFF OF A SHORT PIER!
State: YOU SUCK COCKROACH BALLS!
Zip Code: I WILL NEVER HIGH FIVE YOU! NEVER!
(III)Present work address: WTF?!!!
(IV)Home and mobile Phone numbers: 555-GO-SCREW-YOURSELF
(V)Email address: UNICORNS HATE YOU!
(VI)Your age and Current Occupation: ADORABLE KITTENS HATE YOU!
(VII) Your Gender: MOONBOW HATES YOU!

Thank you so much for your time and consideration.

Yours in Cockroach Balls,
Moonbow Rollings








Monday, June 4, 2012

Résumé Adventure #15: I Know You are Trying to Scam Me, But I Am Not Sure How

Résumé Adventure #15 is a mystery. I don't know what company sent this recruitment email to me. Nor do I know the recruiter's name because they didn't include one in their sign-off. I also don't know where they got my email. It might have been from Monster or Craigslist or from this blog or maybe a vision of Moonbow's Résumé Page came to them during a dream. Either way, I don't really think the recruiter knows very much about me, but they seem to think that I am a good candidate for the job, just so long as I have a printer. Because the email sender just left out so much pertinent information about who they are, I am sure that they are trying to scam me, but I am just not sure how. Jeez, where is Angela Lansbury when you need her?!?!?! Whatever...I am not too proud to throw away a job lead, however disappointing it may be. The truth is that I need to find a job ay-sap because I need medical-grade laser treatments to get rid of the now-permanent neon orange colored stains that have marred my fingertips from my unwitting over consumption of that most delicious puffed snack food, Cheetos. People are starting to think I have radioactive jaundice symptoms. You can read the secret recruiter's email below. I have kept their flagrant display of their inability to properly capitalize letters in tact for your viewing sympathy. As usual, my cover letter follows.

Cats like it when printers go "purr" and printers like it when cats go "purr" (photo by Mary-Lynn via Flickr).

The Job Post


"Hello  

PAYMENT DISPATCHER/BOOK KEEPER NEEDED

Looking for someone to help with book keeping. you are going to need a printer for this,if  your are interested please kindly get back to me  and get paid $700 Per month doing so, and it is on a part time bases too so you need not worry about time. You get to do this  once in a week.  

What is your location and what do you do for a living?  

Do you have a printer and what type of printer do you have?  

What you do is simple,you help printout and send payments out,all infos you will need will be provided.get back to me via email. 

Regards"

My Cover Letter


Dear Invisi-Cruiter,

Thank you so much for taking the time to email me about your open job position. It seems as though your only job requirement is that I have a printer. Well, you are in luck. Are you ready for this? I DO HAVE A PRINTER! BAM! I bet you didn't see that one coming, did you? And I have MAD PRINTER SKILLZ!!! I know how to load paper, remove paper, push "ctrl + p" at the same time, plug the printer in to the wall outlet, and even push the printer's power-on button. I, Moonbow, am to small home printers what circus lion tamers are to fierce lions. Oh, yeah, I am a FREAKIN' PRINTER MASTER, BABY. Uh-huh. Yes, I am. 

You did not tell me your name or even who you work for, but you know, I guess that just means that we are such close friends that we don't even need to use names. Like you know when you call up your bestie and you just say "hey, its me" and they know that it is you? Yeah, that is how you and I are. We are tight like that. Already. After only a single email. 

So since we are such good friends, I am going to be brutally honest with you. I am concerned because it seems to me, that despite of or even in spite of my kick-ass printer skillz, you don't seem to be interested in me at all anymore!!! After all you and I have been through together, all you care about is my printer!!! All you ever talk about is printer this and printer that tell me about your printer blah blah blah. What gives? Are you ditching me for my printer? It isn't even that attractive!!! If you had seen my printer before I decorated it will all of those scratch-and-sniff stickers, you would not be impressed with its bland ecru exterior. You don't love me any more. You don't even like me! You and my printer must be fooling around behind my back. Well, I see how it is...screw you! You just wait until that printer starts messing up all of your minor print jobs with crumpled, jammed paper feeds and weakened black ink. Then who are you going to turn to when that happens, huh? You sure as hell won't be able to turn to the printer to fix itself because it doesn't have opposable thumbs!!! 

Whatever. I have attached my résumé to this email for your consideration. I doubt I will hear from you ever again because you only care about my stupid printer and not about me or the fragility of my feelings. You probably just want to funnel credit card payments to you through me from stolen credit cards that you stole yourself. You just want to use me. 

IF YOU PRICK ME DO I NOT BLEED?!!!

Yours in Rage and Jealousy,
Moonbow Rollings

Thursday, May 31, 2012

Résumé Adventure #13: Partner with Paul, Get Rich, and Hook Up!

For Résumé Adventure #13, I posted my résumé in the Craigslist résumé section. Soon after, I received an email solicitation from a recruiter that works for Partner for Paul. What the hell is Partner with Paul, you say? I don't know. Never heard of it. The recruiter's email was short, but contained a link to a sales pitch that dragged on pointlessly for so long that I had to take a tinkle break just to get through the tawdry thing. I have posted the recruiter's email, complete with authentic typos below, but have changed her name so she can't sue me for slander. Lawsuits are a luxury that I just can't afford until I am employed again. I have also excerpted parts of the web page that she recommended. You can view the whole, long, drawn-out thing using the link I provided. My thoughtful response follows.

This is how you become a Partner with Paul millionaire (photo by ishane via Flickr).


The Recruiter's Email


"Hi,

Nice writing to you, a few minutes ago I read your post on craigslist and it attracted me, right now I have some work need you if you have time,

for the details please read
partnerwithpaul which I post with descriptions

If you have any questions feel free to shoot me an email.
Regards,
Boogerina Mountain"

My Cover Letter


Dear Boogerina Mountain,

Thank-you so much for responding to my post on Craigslist. You decision to contact me clearly shows that you have an eye for quality. I knew that giving my post the title "I Got Skillz. Hire Me. Now." followed up by a blatant typo would serve me well as the key to my future as a career girl. 

So, um, yeah, I followed that link you sent me. It starts off by promising that you can show me how to make a quick $500 to $5,000 a month. And that some kindly rich white dude named Paul that likes to take his family to the beach in matching outfits is going to tell me how. I saw that Paul photo and I was like...OMG! If I could be Paul's partner, I could buy my very own family and take them to my very own beach and we could wear matching clothes too! So I kept on reading. And reading. And reading. And I continued to hold out hope that Paul would throw down a job description somewhere. I just kinda sorta figured that since I posted in the résumé/jobs wanted section that you must be emailing me about an actual job. But no, apparently not.

So anyway, I read though the fake charts and graphs that you offer up as proof of your legitimacy. And then I read through the tedious blathering about how Paul is an awesome dude and not just some guy that preys on poor unsuspecting unemployed and under-employed folks just trying to get out of debt. And then I read through a bunch of hyped-up bullshit shtick that is ironically supposed to demonstrate that Paul is a no-hype and no bullshit kind of practical business man that just likes to help people. Um, yeah, I didn't quite get that part. But whatever...if irony is what gets the almighty Paul off, to each his own. At this point I probably would have just given up, but then I read "we will LITERALLY hold your hand if necessary" and I was like, OMG, JACKPOT! I know that holding hands leads to hookin' up and I am all about that. Yeah, you know what I am talking about! 

So, re-invigorated with hand-holding hope, I read your steps to success where you claim with no skills or experience or free time, that I too, can become like really rich and stuff. I would sum the steps up like this:
Step One: Join the Partner with Paul website.
Step Two:  Go to a secret website that tells you how to make money from home without a real job.
Step Three: Make a bunch of money. 
Step Four: Join Paul's mysterious inner circle. Oooooooh. That sounds exclusive. I bet Paul will want to hold MY HAND. 

I told my cats all about this wonderful opportunity that you are offering me and they said "Meow meow merrrrrow meeeeiaow meowmeoweyoweyoweyow" which translates as "Um, Moonbow, we think this is a waste of time scam, you better investigate this." So I took their advice and I googled "Partner with Paul + scam" and learned that all y'all want to do is make me buy a $40 Herbal Life sales kit and that you are a big scam-a-rama-thon. So like it that true, Ms. Mountain? Are you an Herbal Life scam? Because if you are, I am not interested. Herbal Life if sooooo ghetto. It is like ghetto Mary Kay and you don't even get a pink car. 

Yours in Hand-Holding,
Moonbow Rollings








Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Résumé Adventure #12: Off-Shore Scammer with a Half-Rate Pyramid Scheme

Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow times five!!! Today's Résumé Adventure is a mega-doozy. I received an email from a recruiter named EdwinBob007. I am not sure where he got my email address, but apparently he wants to hire me without ever meeting me or seeing my résumé. I mean, yes, I am Moonbow and I am FrEaKiN' AWESOME and employers should hire me on the spot, but this lecherous email is just a tad suspect. Okay, actually, it is tremendously suspect. He apparently needs a personal assistant to steal shit for him from heaven only knows who. You can read EdwinBob007's recruitment email in all of its poorly written, poorly spaced, poorly spelled glory below. My response follows.

This is how you should dress if you are going to rob someone. This is also how you should dress
if you are going on a blind date (photo by Ski Mask Kid via Flickr). 

The Recruiter's Email

"I need a (PA) Personal Assistant. I'm looking for someone that can be trusted and reliable to work very well and good understanding person. This position is home-based and flexible, working with me is basically about instructions and following them, my only fear is that I may come at you imprompt sometimes, so I need someone who can be able to meet up with my irregular timings. As my assistant, your activities amongst other things will include 

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 part-time, work from home basis and the  flexibility 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 for now.

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 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'm 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 this week is to do shopping for office equipment/printing materials for my new office thats am setting up soon  .A check will be mail to you from a Client this week  , the money is needed to get some Tools need for my new office. and maind you i will meet with you in the nest 8days,   so you dont have to worry your self on how we are to meet okay.

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 $400 weekly Pay from it and i will send you the rest of what to shop   and send the remaining money to the Manager to arrange 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.."


My Cover Letter

Dear Mister EdwinBob007,

Thank you so much for sending me a job offer + recruitment letter all wrapped up in one seedy email. I love your two-for-one style. But seriously, EdwinBob007, who do you think you are kidding? My name is MOONBOW, not FALLS-FOR-RETARDED-SCAMS-BOW!!! 

When I started reading your email, I felt sorry for you. You really struggle to command the English language and I figured that you must be a hard working immigrant just trying to make the American Dream a reality. I initially though that I could help you with your correspondence, and through the miracle of proper grammar, I could help your mystery business flourish a whole bunch if I could just make you look more competent via email.

But as I read on, I realized, nah, you are just some off-shore scammer trying to get other people to steal for you through some half-rate pyramid scheme, probably some check and credit card fraud bullshit. I mean the part where you stress how absolutely busy you are with your traveling and working, followed by the long and barely comprehensible email is a dead give away. Not to mention the convoluted way you explain how you are going to pay me.

Look, on one hand, I feel your pain. If you are in a situation that is so bad that you have to resort to petty electronic theft to make ends meet, that is tough. Really tough. But on the other hand, yo, dude, like why would you want to pull other innocent people into your measly crime ring? If you were in Long Beach, I would kick your butt with my RAD STREET FIGHTING SKILLZ for trying to pull one over on me like that. Um, yeah, seriously, I would do that.

This is not an LOL matter, Mr. EdwinBob007. I am calling the cops on you if you ever send me an email ever again. 

Fuck Off,
Moonbow Rollings