Protect Yourself and Report the Latest Frauds, Scams, Spams, Fakes, Identify Theft Hacks and Hoaxes
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Have you received an email from Dusty Ledbetter of "ERM Capital, Ltd" in Moscow, Russia (or ANYWHERE else) offering you a job as a "Client Account Specialist (CAS) /Senior Client Account Specialist (Senior CAS)"? But oddly, they require you to pay the "courier company" to send documents, visa's or other items, or cash a large advance check and send some of the money via Western Union?
At some point in the scam, you will either:
It is an AFF / Money transfer Scam. Unless you have been living under a rock since 1940, it's pretty obvious that you would have to be a moron to trust any Russian offering you a business deal from Russia. From Putin's rhetoric and the assassination of U.S. businessmen in Russia, it is pretty clear, the Russians still see Americans as enemies and victims to be exploited.
They'll send you counterfeit checks which you are supposed to deposit, take out some amount, and then MoneyGram or Western Union wire the remaining 90%. There's a reason for this: Western Union and MoneyGrams are cashed immediately and are untraceable and irretrievable. Bank checks can take 1 or 2 weeks to clear!
Of course, since the check is fake, it will bounce a week or so later after you deposit it. But you have already moneygram'ed the scammers the 90% of the amount, and that is transacted almost instantly. So you now owe the bank for the full amount. You may also face criminal charges for passing counterfeit checks. See this page for a step-by-step explanation of how the scam unfolds.
In the email below, there are some many red flags, we can't imagine any way it could be legitimate. Any time any potential employer asks you to send money via Western Union, IT MUST BE A SCAM. No legitimate company would transfer money this way. They will all have access to a more secure bank wire or direct deposit method.
Other clues that this is a scam are:
Do you have a resume posted online? We'd like to hear from you about your experiences recruiting emails that turned out to be scams or misleading - click here to write us.
Any highlighted passages in the actual scam email below are to draw your attention to clues (the highlighting itself was not present in the original email).
Subject: Job Alert From CareerBuilder Inc
From: Dusty Ledbetter [ lappresume@bonneyforge.com ]
Hello,
We'd like to draw your attention to a new employment opportunity available with ERM Capital, Ltd: Client Account Specialist (CAS) /Senior Client Account Specialist (Senior CAS). This is a part-time position that you can fill while working at home, with a commission based remuneration dependent on your performance. In order to occupy this position, you need to be 21 years and above and have a verifiable residency in the USA. Previous business, clerical or administrative experience is a plus, as is college education.
If you received this email in error or you no longer wish to receive any vacancy alerts, please email back with the following header: UNSUBSCRIBE.
THE EMPLOYER
Found in 2003 in Moscow, Russia, ERM Capital Ltd. specializes in trading managed accounts for individual and institutional investors and market-making in the Russian derivatives market. Underpinned by proprietary 'rocket science' quantitative models, our vast trading experience ensures consistent outperformance of your portfolio. The unique risk profile of our non-directional relative value strategies offers our clients a great opportunity to diversify a traditional long-only stock and bond portfolio. We also provide hedging and market risk consulting services to non-financial companies in Russia and Eastern Europe.
The company offers its services to domestic individuals and companies, as well as eligible investors from around the world. Since we are chartered in Russia and only offer our services to qualified purchasers in the US, we are not eligible for regulation by the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission and/or Securities and Exchange Commission. We are fully licensed and supervised by the Russian Federal Financial Markets Service as a dealer and broker in the securities markets. Currently, we seek to increase our business presence in the USA in consideration of the decline in the US stock and bond markets and growing interest in the emerging markets, including Russia, demonstrated by the sophisticated investors. This strategy means that more contract-to-hire opportunities will arise for our staff in the USA.
THE ROLE
The core responsibility of a Client Account Specialist is to ensure timely settlement of incoming payments from our US clients. Your responsibilities will include receiving incoming funds notifications from the Client Accounts Supervisor, confirming the receipt of the funds into your designated bank account, transferring the funds into our managed client accounts in Russia and confirming the settlement with your bank, the client and our accounting, as requested.
Your duties will typically require up to 8 hours per week. Since we currently do not have a physical office in the USA, all communication with your supervisor will be carried out by phone, email and fax, so you should have convenient access to these facilities. You should also be able to visit your bank in the regular business hours upon a few hours notice.
In order to succeed in this role, you should be a strong communicator with good multi-tasking skills and great attention to detail. Previous clerical, business or administrative experience is a plus, but not a prerequisite. ERM Capital Ltd. is an equal opportunities employer open to candidates of any sex, race, age or ethnicity.
Your remuneration is calculated as a percentage of the client funds that you handle and is available each time that you complete a transaction. There is thus no need to wait for the payroll check.
If you are interested it this position or would like to request additional information on our company, please contact us at recruit.ermcapital@gmail.com Please make sure to provide your contact phone number.
There are a variety of sleazy scams that look, at first glance, like legitimate job offers. Before you write back to them, pause a moment and read about the scams below!
Some of the more common job scams are