Internet Employment Fraudsters and Scam Artists

Have you ever checked out sites that offer bogus jobs that require you to use your own bank account in order to cash in bogus checks? These people keep asking you to take 10% of the cash amount as commission for your sevice. They tell you to send the rest of the money as a money order to a specified location.

I'm here to warn you not to accept such lucrative offers, even on your worst unemployment day. They look for vulnerable people that need ways to make cash quickly, but in the end you end up being the sucker. If you cash the check into your own personal bank account and money order the 90% through a money order institution like Western Union (for example) you will put yourself in debt. How, you might wonder? If the bank finds out that check you recieved in the mail is a bad check from this supposed bogus employer's clients you will have to pay the bank the 90% you money ordered unwittingly to that bogus employer online.

Another reason why you shouldn't fall for this prank is because your bank might close your account due to money laundering activities. Now, if this happens; you might find it significantly harder to open a new bank account with other banks if this activity is recorded. If you recieve bogus checks in the mail, check your local post office, bank or the police as to whether or not they are real. However, I would refrain from cashing such large amounts into anyone's private bank account for whatever reason.

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Disclaimer: Western Union or other money order instititutions have created ways for customers to send a limited amount of money online and in person due to fraudulent activities by these people. Make sure you keep yourself informed about these limitations that are supposed to safeguard people from committing unlawful acts of fraud, especially unintentional scandalous ones like the Nigerian Money Fraud scams.

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Many people were caught by this employment trap. In all honesty, I could've been one of them if I had not done my research on the matter. I found a lot of testimonials that covered that scandalous form of online employment that it really makes me weary about these so-called "Home Based Business" websites.

TIPS on online employment safety:

- If the offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is!

- WHY DON'T they have a website of their so-called company? How are they marketing their business? Are they listed in the Better Business Bureau website?

- If they require your name, address, phone# and banking information as well as credit card information, DO NOT GIVE IT OUT!

- If you get anonymous phone calls from people asking you to join a home-based business scheme and you don't remember giving that information online - by all means put down the phone. Do not explain yourself as to why you want to decline this aggressive telemarketer, just click the phone and hang up.

-If they claim to represent major companies and want you to give them your credit card information to start up your own website to promote these major companies, ask yourself this question: Why would a major company ask me to promote their website if they have loads of money being used to advertise their product in the first place in a legitimate way? Why do these people need my credit card information for? After taking these questions into consideration then make your decision.

- If its a money order employment job that needs you to cash some bogus check from some unknown client and if your employer is in a country/state out of your reach and they cannot see you in-person then take that check to the police and report this incident.

- Another thing to take into consideration is that these people don't just spam their employment opportunities and call you. They also post their employment scam on major job hunter websites like Monster.com or Workopoliscampus.com and etc. So watch out for those schemers because they like to penetrate the Internet in more avenues than one.

- For a more informed opinion, I suggest checking out this website on personal testimonials of people who have suffered this form of employment fraud:

Anyways, I hope this information has saved someone from having nearly made a mistake like these people did. Count yourself blessed, if you read this information and best of wishes in finding a better job online!

http://www.crime-research.org/news/12.12.2004/843/comments/

A person who posted from this crime-research.org site gave valuable advice that I will credit to as J.M.

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2006-08-17 11:00:41 - J. M. You can be 100% certain that any money order or bank check that a stranger sends you is a worthless fake.What must people don't know is that all banks will make a checks funds 'available' to the account holder within 2 or 3 days. This does NOT mean the check is good or has cleared. When a check is deposited into a bank account it can take several weeks or a month to actually clear. So if a check is fake or there is insuffient funds the account holder won't be notified of this until weeks or a month after depositing the check.If the account holder withdraw the funds that were made available then they have to repay the bank immediately or face criminal penalties.