How funny is it that the scammers are now using movie aliases. This from a blog reader:
Thanks
for your blog and other news about Internet Cafes in Nigeria. I placed
an ad in Craigslist to do tutoring in statistics. I got a short message
back in response to the ad from Solomon Vendy (Solomon Vandy was a name
used in Blood Diamond) asking me if I was still interested in the job.
I responded with yes and then I got the following. I was suspicious
because this had nothing to do with tutoring. The handle on the email
is Solomon Vendy. Googling the name I came up with your blog and some
other information.
There was a Nigeria connection which confirmed that I was probably
being scammed. Note the same information is requested that was entered
on your blog.
Thanks for having your blog.
--- the email from Solomon Vendy follows ---
Dear Applicant
Thanks
for your Email and interest toward the Job position on Craigslist. My
name is Patrick Santos, I am married with 3 kids. We are relocating to
the US from United Kingdom. The purpose of our relocation to the United
States is basically because of the Seminar on United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), United Nations Conference on
Trade and Development (UNCTAD), 6th meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-ended
Working Group on Article 8(j) and Related Provisions (WG8J 6), and the
North American industry association Green Roofs for Healthy Cities
(GRHC) in partnership with the World Green Roof Infrastructure Network
(WGRIN).
The duration of our stay in the United states
will be 6 months, so i need someone who could help take care of the
house, Help my Wife and watch my kids while am off to work also Someone
that can help in running some errands. The basic reason for this post
and search for an helper is because my wife is Physically challenged and
has been on the wheel chair for about 13 months now so it's been hard
for her to take care of the kids and get around on her own.
I'm
willing to Pay $400 weekly plus $50 for transportation or gas fee, i
will be needing your services for only 5 hours daily and at any suitable
time that fits your schedule but preferably in the afternoons between
12 noon and 7pm, Mondays through Fridays.. I believe you will be fit for
this position in as much you will prove yourself to be a reliable and
good person.
We have a financier that is based in the
United states and he will be handling the payment and some other
expenses, so he will be the one that will be taking care of your payment
as well, I will instruct him to pay for the firsts week before our
arrival so as to secure your service, actually i should have paid for
more weeks but i will extend the payment if am satisfied with your
service after 2 weeks.
My financier will be making out a
check to you before our arrival, you will be receiving a check of
$1,976.00 out of which you will be deducting your pay for the firsts
week and you will be using the remaining to buy Groceries/Food Stuffs
and other things needed in the house, you will be getting this Food
Stuffs before our arrival date which is on or before April 29.
As
of now, I am still unsure of the Physical address of the apartment
where i will be staying but will instruct The estate agent to mail the
keys/Address of Our apartment to you as soon as the place is ready so
that you can do all other necessary preparations before Our arrival, I
have reasons to believe that the painter and electrician are working on
getting the apartment fixed and ready for use.
I will
email you the shopping list as soon as i have gotten confirmation that
you have received the payment. That being said,my financier would be
needing the following Information to make out a check payment to you
immediately upon your acceptance of the Job:
Name to be on Check :
Home address or Office Address :
City :
State :
Zip code :
Age :
Sex :
Phone number very important:
Email address:
If
myself and my wife are pleased with your service within 2 weeks, there
will be other incentives. However, we need a more mature person that is
above 18yrs of age who is very knowledgeable to handle things without
much supervision.
I will be waiting to hear from you.
Best Regards
--- end of email from Solomon Vendy ---
5 comments:
Thanks for your site. It saved me from a lot more wasted time.
It's strange, but even now I have to subdue the urge to follow up on this scam offer- like Barnum (of the old Barnum and Baley Circus)used to say "there's a new sucker born every day!"
Sorry- that should read "a new sucker born every minute!"
Thanks for the heads up; considering that the email address that was used when responding to a "resume" i posted (i never post my contact info on the open), i was fishy, so figured i'd bait them to see what they'd say; and sure enough i got the same "patrick santos" letters
Figure i'd share that my ad was posted in the Ventura County craigslist.
Had almost the exact same email, but claiming they were moving from Canada. The name was Yvette Hernandez (email signed as "Mr. and Mrs. Hernandez).
I'm very well-versed in recognizing scams. My "yes" reply to an email "are you still looking for a job" response to my Craigslist ad was as quoted above, but came from, "Thanks for your Email and interest toward the Job position on
Craigslist. My name is Steven Mark, I am married with 2 kids. We are
relocating to the US from United Kingdom."
I had a feeling the "are you still looking for a job" email was the intro to a scam (I've gotten three of them so far), but hey, you have to respond to everything - you never know how Internet clueless a perfectly good boss might be! It will at least be entertaining to read the responses. :)
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