Just got the following scam spam slipping in through my mail filters. I'll post the e-mail, then point out the red flags after it.
From: Arline Hazel <bhufruau5579@hotmail.com>
Subject: ProLineGames_J0B (700).Company name: ProLineGames ltd.
Job title: Project Coordinator
Position type: Part-Time/Virtual office
Location: US only
Company overview
Company ProLineGames was founded in 2002.Our company offers solutions for organization of on-line tournaments and launch of on-line tournaments. The company owns excellent resource base and highly qualified personnel ready to solve tasks of any level of difficulty.
Also ProLineGames ltd. focuses particular attention at conduction of off-line tournaments, because there could be nothing better than the best cyber fighters of the continent gather in one place in order to fight face to face.
Job Description
Quite recently our company introduces a new service for companies hosting own Web projects (MMORPG).
Our service supposes conduction of draws and lotteries with real prizes among the MMORPG users.ProLineGames ltd. is always looking for skilled and talented individuals to join our company.
Currently we are seeking a part-time Project Coordinator to help the winners of tournaments in receiving information about the award, manage issues with them.
Company's provisions:
1. Flexible working schedule;
2. Commission and Bonus Opportunities;If you are interested to find more about this position please send your resumes to: marshaproivers@gmail.com
ProLineGames ltd.
The first and most common red flag is the sender/reply mismatch. That's when you get the e-mail from some random person at a free mail service (like Hotmail) and then are asked to reply to a totally different person at another free mail service (like Gmail). If this is a reputable seven-year-old company that specializes in online games, why aren't they sending this from their own domain? I've been contacted by agencies where an assistant sends out the contact e-mail and asks me to reply directly to the recruiter, but both e-mail addresses were from the same domain for a known recruiting company, not throwaway accounts at free mail services. The only job e-mails I've received that do this are scam e-mails.
Second, who comes out of nowhere and offers you a good-paying job opportunity with flexible hours, work-from-home, etc., etc.? Scammers, that's who. As the old saying goes, if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. Generally the scams fall into one of three categories:
- Payment Puppet: They send you forged checks or payments from hacked PayPal accounts. You cash them out and send them to your employer in Europe, Africa, or China by Western Union. A few days/weeks later, the bank or PayPal discovers the forgery/hack, and you're responsible for paying back the money.
- Package Reshipper: They use forged checks, hacked PayPal accounts, and other devious methods to pay for purchases from auction sellers and other vendors. Since most won't ship to Russia, China, or African countries because so many fraudulent orders come from there, the buyers have the packages shipped to you, and you re-ship the packages out of the country to them. When the seller finds out theiy got rooked, they call the cops and give them your name and address. Then the cops want to talk to you about where the merchandise went.
- Identity Theft: As part of the application/screening process, they need all sorts of information about you. You provide it and they use it to take out credit cards in your name, empty your bank account, etc. When all is said and done, your credit is ruined and you're fighting to get your life back.
In some cases, it's a combination of the three.
This looks like it might be a different scam. Helping winners of tournaments receive information about awards sounds like they might want to use you as a spam proxy or as a shill for an advance fee scam.
Advance fee scams most commonly appear in your mailbox as the Nigerian widow who needs your help to move 25 million in her husband's assets out of the country, the lawyer who believes you're the heir of a deceased millionaire, the European lottery you somehow won without ever entering, or the dying millionaire who wants your help distributing money to charity. The thing they all have in common is that if you bite, they'll run into some trouble disbursing the funds and need you to put up some money to pay a service fee, pay a bribe, whatever, to get the money released.
I'd reply to find out more about the job, but I dont for two reasons:
- I never reply to spam.
- These people are CRIMINALS. I'd prefer to keep my distance.
My advice is to toss out this e-mail. Don't play detective, don't think you'll have some fun trying to scam the scammers. Again, these people are CRIMINALS. If you want to report it, you can send it to your local cops, but since the scammers are out of the country, usually the best that could happen is that the authorities might run a sting and take down a domestic accomplice.
I know times are hard and jobs seem scarce. I'm job hunting too. But if you fall for a scam, whatever pain you're in now will be multiplied. Stay safe and God bless.
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