The Better Business Bureau serving Louisville, Southern Indiana and Western Kentucky received an inquiry from a local consumer earlier this week. Here is what the consumer said:
I sent an email to a company that was in the Courier-Journal a couple weeks ago about a job as a customer service representative. I have to send an email to jamesjar20000@gmail.com. I did get an email back from him . The company is supposedly out of the country. I still have the emails from this person. His name is James Collins of Interface Fabrics (Sales and Customer Service). The first email asked for name, address, phone, profession, age, gender, Nationality, email, & cell phone. It said that I would receive payments from customers. I would receive 10% for the payment right then. I then sent my info to him and asked for more info about the company, where located, name of company etc. I then received another email from this person wanting me to verify all my info. That I would receive check from people and I was to go to my bank and cash the checks, take my 10% off of the checks and send the rest to them via Moneygram/Western Union money transfer. Also, that I would start receiveing checks in the new week.
Please help me with this. I still have the emails that were sent to me. I can send then to you if you would like. Is this company for real or is this a scam? Please let me know ASAP.
Unfortunately, this “job offer” is a scam attempt. These "payment processing" jobs are a common version of numerous counterfeit check scams that flood the marketplace today. The customer is sent fraudulent checks and, in return for an offer to keep 10% of the money, is asked to convert the checks to cash and wire the amount of the check (less 10% and the fees for wiring the money) to someone overseas or in Canada.
Checks sent to “customer service representatives” hired for these “jobs” are typically drawn on real banks and real bank accounts, but are not authorized payments by the companies on which the checks are drawn. The “customer service representatives” will deposit the checks into their bank accounts, wire the money as instructed, and then discover some days later that the check was rejected by the bank on which the check had been drawn.
The bottom line: don’t ever get involved with anyone who asks you to wire money to someone you don’t know well and trust completely. In the BBB’s experience, no matter why the people claim to want you to wire money, there is a scam afoot. Don’t become a victim.