Scam Job a Front for Phishing

By: Mr D Stevens Click author's name for more of his/her articles

With many internet users already clued up to the tricks of internet scammers and phishers (i.e. pretending to be from an official website such as Ebay or Paypal to get you to reveal your password or other login information).
Many internet scammers are now turning to ingenuous methods to get their victims to reveal
their financial information.

One of these is pretending to offer employment which they place ads on various frequently visited online classifieds.
The ads usually discusses potential jobs as Online Virtual Assistants for their Real Estate firms. Once a potential victim responds to the ad seeking this non existent "Online virtual assistant"
position, they receive a standard template email response that sounds very similar to this:

Recently, you replied to our job for a online Office Assistants. If you are in receipt of this email from us then it means you need more information. We are currently seeking a online Office Assistants who will serve as Customer Service Representativesfor our Real Estate Firm. We manage various Real Estate Agencies and Management Companies throughout the World. As there were two listings posted which needed to be filled, this particular position is for a Customer Service Rep (CSR). Responsibilities will include posting new listings, taking occasional phone calls and routing them to the proper agents. Agents will take and schedule maintenance calls and occasionally deal with tenant Emergencies (leaks, major repairs, etc)

Candidates should have average to above average office skills, good comprehension, and should be able to type at a reasonable speed in order to take messages effectively. Your pay will be $16.25 per hour and you should be able to work a minimum of 15 hours each week with the maximum being 40 hours. Payments are made weekly via check or direct deposit. Calls will be routed to the phone number of your choice (this must be a valid phone number) during the time you are signed into our system. This will not prohibit you from taking personal calls as your screen will indicate when it is a call being routed from us. If calls are

not answered after 4 rings they will simply be rerouted to the next available agent.

All applicants need to have an account mandatory for web based work where you will be shown each aspect of the job in detail, and how to have any questions answered. Please set aside few minutes to complete this, after having an account to online software, a 3 page test will be emailed to you, which will serve to gauge your comprehension. All Documents, tests and orientation will need to be Completed no later than <25/04/2009>.

To the access to software you must have a free account to download the software

Please visit our website at:

(Removed to protect the vulnerable)

Simply create a username that consists of 1 your email 2 People in your Team: just type 1000 and next field 3 what do you want to use Central Desktop for? Type here for business purpose. If this is unavailable please make a comparable name. After we have received your username we will send you some manuals to look over, and a file containing fully functional copies of all necessary software that you will need to have installed and ready before orientation. It is NOT necessary for you to purchase any software or programs for this job. Please Note: You are not guaranteed employment until you receive an email from us entitled “Welcome Aboard”. Prior to this, all tests,

orientation and paperwork must be completed, and the results of this will determine your eligibility for employment with us. Please let me know if there is anything I can

Help you with.

Warm Regards,

...

Human Resources Manager.

One of the many things about this email that should send alarm bells about this "Online Virtual Assistant" the mechanical and bad grammar (as if copied from a template) aside, is the sudden change to an "Office Assistant", and regardless of where
the job is advertised; curiously the pay is always in dollars. The website created for this specific purpose, is always just a few weeks if not a few days old, and ofcourse there is
no phone number, just a free email address anyone can obtain, which a real business to be honest would steer clear as it is synonymous with scams.

If the potential victim is eager and gullible enough at this stage to visit the website, instead of what was advertised; a test to guage their suitability, they are instead met with a trial service that demands a credit card to possibly verify their identity.
Ofcourse this is the entire point of this elaborate scam as once these details are filled in, there is no need to communicate with the victim any longer.