I have received email from a few of you asking me to describe some of the hints that I had regarding the "job offer" I was pursuing. These hints that this was perhaps not on the up and up are described somewhat here below. Some of them are very clear to someone of my experience. They are in regard to this particular genre of scam. It doesn't mean that I am an expert and that I can smell all sorts of scams no matter what. So take this for what it is worth.
It all started when I put my resume on Craigslist.
Big mistake.
I got an email that said that there was an opening for a telecommuting Administrative Assistant type job.
My resume did indicate that I am looking primarily for telecommuting work.
I now regret that.
I found the email address intriguing, but not suspicious. But different. jaho@avalonkay.com The proper name for this address is Kevin Cain.
The hint I got from the name is that it is very Anglo-Saxon but the English of the messages is poor. Poor grammar, poor idiom. That did shiver my timbers to a degree.
He told me that I had to get on Yahoo messenger to facilitate communications between me and the company. I hate Yahoo, but I did it.
I was then put into contact with a person by the name of Elizabeth Pineda. Needless to say, "her" English is not that great either.
She was going to "interview me." First questions were about name, address, sex, age and why they should hire me.
After about five minutes I was told that I was hired. I was going to be paid $25 per hour
after about three days of training. I was to be paid $15.00 per hour for the training. I was not going to be an independent contractor, but a true employee with full benefits after 30 days of employment.
I answered everything, despite the obvious red flags. The money was also unrealistically high.
Then Elizabeth gave me tasks to complete in preparation for the training. They were fairly to the point and I didn't mind doing them. In fact, the last one I did, I liked so much, I published it in the first post of this series. I was going along with this, but not liking the fact that this was unpaid work.
Every time I did something, I was rewarded by high praise. I was then told that the following day I was to be online at 8:00AM and that I would be given some instructions about a check that was going to arrive and was supposed to be applied to supplies and equipment necessary for the job. I said that I would be ready.
I wondered why I had not been asked for my social security number. If I was an employee, and yes,I had been told that I was hired and I was preparing for training, according to my business sense, I should not be receiving money, even just expense account money, without having provided such an important piece of information.
The next morning, I got the information of what time the check would arrive by FEDEX. It came.
It was for $2,865.00. That was far too much for equipment and supplies. I had to go honor a previous commitment, but before I did I asked what the details of the expenses should be.
I was told to shut up and listen. Go cash the check and I would find out after what to do. I then began to be harassed and told to use the ATM rather than go to the bank. I refused. I knew then that I had to go to the bank.
I then knew what I had to do. I went, honored my previous commitment. Went to the bank. The story is in the first two posts about this experience. At least this time, I won.
The aftermath is still playing out, but it is all anti-climax. You now know the story and the hints that served to lead me to the right course of action.
