Initial E-mail from Client: I have a question. Have you heard of a company called...? (Name withheld for legal reason.) I received an e-mail from them asking me to send my resume and cover letter. They look above board; however, before I go any further, I wanted to check with you. Thank you, Doralynn, for any help you can give me.
My response: I haven't heard of them...send me the link and I'll have a look. But here are some red flags to look out for: are they offering VA training that you must pay for and complete before you can work for them? How's the grammar and spelling? Do all of their pages work? And have you checked scam forums for information on them?
Client's response: Thank you, Doralynn. The email is pretty up and up. No scam reports either ... Should I give it a try? Thanks.
My response after visiting the site: This site is using a hyip template. There are some grammar problems at the site as well. (I will not include the information I sent her on hyip's and these templates, but knowing this much was enough to tell me that this site was a scam. It did not end here however.)
Client's response: Good, that is settled. I won't be going any further with that one. They mentioned in the e-mail that if I was hired that they would be wanting my SSN via fax. A red flag went up at that moment. That's when I e-mailed you. Since I can't find anything about them anywhere else, I'm going to move on. No e-mail back either. Thanks so much Doralynn.
My response: I just checked the address listed at WHOIS for this domain name, and the address listed there is for a comedy club in LA. In addition to that, this domain name was created five days ago. If they are claiming to have any track record, then they are lying through their teeth. Also, I did a reverse search on the phone number, it's unlisted. Businesses don't usually have unlisted numbers -- hard to get business that way. In addition, the name at WHOIS is based on the Da Vinci Code.
Client's response: Man, you have taught me a lot in about 2 hours. LOL! What a set up! A comedy club! ironic, isnt' it? Thank you again. I will look up WHOIS so I can look up these questionable folks. I have had a great education this evening. I really appreciate it. God bless you!
My response: I thought that was pretty ironic too. I used to be a military policewoman in the Army...investigation is still in my blood. Glad I was able to help.
That's the end of our e-mails. You can see from the above that a little homework can turn up some surprising results.
To sum it all up, in addition to checking online scam forums, here are the advanced steps you can take to protect yourself from online job scams:
1. Check the domain name at WHOIS. http://www.networksolutions.com/whois/index.jsp If the information has not been kept confidential, is there anything bogus about the information listed there? Try Googling the name and address if listed.
2. Perform a reverse phone search to see if the phone number is legitimate. (Some businesses are listed by the owner's name. Some businesses are sole proprietors: that's legitimate, so keep that in mind on this kind of search. Also keep in mind that legitimate businesses do move and change phone numbers occasionally.) http://www.whitepages.com/10592/reverse_phone
3. Try to determine the Web host. Sites using anonymous Web hosting, such as Katzglobal, should raise a red flag. Legitimate companies typically don't need to be anonymous. Hyip's, and other scams, are notorious for using anonymous Web hosting.
4. Check for edited hyperlinks in the e-mails that you've been sent. This will vary depending on your e-mail provider. If the hyperlinks have been edited, that's usually a bad sign. Example: the link says one thing, but the hyperlink edit box has something else typed in it.
I hope these e-mails and tips were educational for you as well. There are countless online job scams. If you are interested in knowing more about online job scams and how to avoid them, please see my article at: http://searchwarp.com/swa101929.htm
Stay safe out there.
Doralynn Kennedy
http://www.doralynn.net