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I should be irritated; I am. However, I decided to document the scam because it was different from other hoaxes I had encountered in the past, particularly the letters from a Nigerian prince that had been in my spam box. At the time of this publishing, the bogus job posting was still active.
The whole thing began over a year ago, shortly after the Covid-19 outbreak cost me my job. Finding work online was a daily challenge that was simple but occasionally annoying. I eventually worked up to finishing up to 23 applications per day. With a mortgage payment, a vehicle loan, and a mountain of other expenses hanging around my neck, I had reached the breaking point. Thank God for that government check. Homelessness was a possibility.
I was urged to hunt for the job by a "recruiter" after uploading my résumé to a certain website. The job posting appeared promising after a lengthy conversation with the recruiter: paid holidays, increased pay, paid masters program, work from home, and others. I thus consented to have my resume submitted after accepting the recruiter's offer, and a few days later I received an invitation for an interview.
The same business sent me an email, from an odd email address "******@gem_stone.com," it was sent. When I googled "gem_stone.com," nothing came up. The website is not operational. The first warning sign I ignored was that one.
The fact that the interview was conducted by text and the Wire app was the second red flag that I disregarded.
The "interview" lasted more than an hour, and I was shocked by the interviewer's incompetence (the third red flag), but I also reasoned that recruiters aren't familiar with graphic design. There were several times when I wondered, "Lol, how stupid these guys are. They sound like morons."
My responses were evaluated by the manager for two hours following the employment interview. After then, I received a strange-looking acceptance letter along with the job offer. My internal cautions screamed, but I pushed myself to look away out of desperation since the letter typefaces were strange, the company logo was unattractive, and the writing was terrible.
Then, my new supervisor informed me that a check for $2500 would be mailed to me, and I should use it to get a new laptop and other office supplies. I was directed to print out a check and deposit it using my PNC mobile banking app after receiving it. Red flags continue adding up.
Let me tell you, this check was deposited by my stupid ass, and not once did I suspect anything. I offered to pay for the office supplies out of my own pocket because I was so excited about my new work, with the intention of personally depositing the check at the bank. The teller instructed me to wait two to five business days after depositing the check when I went the next day.
The check was reported counterfeit by my bank. I reported the issue to my supposedly new boss but nothing changed. After making excuses, my new supervisor asked me to submit the first of several scheduled payments—$1500—to his vendor via Venmo in order to buy office supplies. I continually suggested using a debit card. They objected and requested that I perform Zelle. My Zelle account was opened. I was on the verge of sending this money. Users of Zelle must have the recipient's phone number in order to send money to them. And in my instance, the supervisor advised me to send the money using his phone number. He will then hand the merchant the cash. I attempted to pay, but it was unsuccessful (another red flag I missed).
There was a problem with Zelle, and my "OMG" moment came when my new supervisor asked "What bodega is close to you?" and I realized, all of a sudden, that none of this made any sense. What trustworthy business in America requires you to transfer money using a bodega? None in the least.
I looked online for further information and sought advice from others to be sure I wasn't the victim of a scam, but I was unable to find any pages that detailed what I was experiencing. On the website, I saw that the aforementioned business was interviewing me and sixteen other applicants for the job they had already offered me. After reporting them on the website, I'm waiting for a conclusion.
I was one of the fortunate few who avoided financial loss. Unfortunately, I submitted my home address my personal information, including my social security number. It's very pitiful how con artists prey on the helpless when they know the odds are stacked against them. They should have their own section of hell set aside only for them. I decided to share this with you because I do not want anyone to go through what I did. If you have experienced this kind of catastrophe, don't be afraid to speak up, tell what happened, and alert the authorities.
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