Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Or, why don't you just give us your info and we'll steal your identity right now

I got a job!

Or so Janet Baker, HR Assistant Manager at WB Digital Media, would like me to believe.

Logging onto Craigslist is always dicey – you might be murdered or find your soulmate who ALSO likes sploshing ... OR you can get a high-paying job with lots of benefits without even sending a resume!

Desperate times call for desperate measures as they say and yesterday I checked around on the San Antonio craigslist. I came across a job listing for a content producer/copyeditor for Web sites. Sure. I can do that.

This was my message to “Janet.”

“Hi – is this position legitimate? If so, I am interested in learning more.”

This morning…I received this email (I highlighted a few of my favorite parts):

Dear Amanda

In reply to your application for the position at WB Digital Media, I would like to apologize for the delay in getting back to you, the number of applicants from Craigslist has been huge and it has taken quite some time to sort through the junk / spam applications and the serious candidates.

I am however happy to inform you that your resume or I didn't initial details have been reviewed positively and you have progressed to the final stage. We are interested in speakling with you as soon as possible as you meet our qualifications perfectly.

We believe an employee who is well rewarded and motivated is the key to our growth oriented company, for that reason we offer our employees competitive payment and health packages along with other key benefits to be discussed at interview stage.

As part of routine checks on all potential employees who have reached this stage, we require applicants to complete a security / credit check to verify your details. This allows us to weed out false applications, time wasters, illegals and so forth.

Please note: We can not and will not use bad credit to deny your application (your credit history itself is not relevant), a full credit check however does allow us to verify accurately, legal US citizenship, employment history, social security references and a verifiable confirmation of address.
(so does a resume - or an interview - you ass hat)

To get your free report we recommend using this provider or another similar trusted company.

http://check-your-credit-online.com/

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Please DO NOT under any circumstances email us your credit report as it contains confidential information that is purely for your own benefit.
(sooo if you aren't going to see it...you need me to do this why, exactly?)

When the HR department contacts you again shortly with full details on the position, human resources we will simply need some non confidential pieces of information from that report to verify your details.

Once again thank you for your interest in the position, we will be in further contact shortly.

Yours faithfully
(nice touch! she cares, she really does!)

Janet Baker
HR Assistant Manager
WB Digital Media

So, let me get this straight - all I have to do is input sensitive personal information into this web site for my “credit report” and I am on my way to a new career!? Sign. Me. Up.

... But just to be safe...I googled the company. This is what I found:




Sure, sure, it could be down for maintenance but...In case you can't read it, there are glaring grammatical errors. When setting up a sham Web site, you may want to make sure everything is spelled correctly. You know. To seem legitimate.
...Or. maybe this is why they need a copyeditor?

21 comments:

  1. Haha - I almost fell for it also. I questioned a position for an Associate Administrator, and received the same correspondence from Ms. Baker. As I opened the "credit website" and saw the questions they were asking, I closed the webpage immediately. I already have a copy of my credit report. But to be honest - this one did sound legitimate, until I found the website down and if you google "http://check-your-credit-online.com/" (with quotes) - you will see that this has been a scam in the past - using CraigsList - but for apartment scammers.

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  2. I have now gotten an identical email from two different Craigslist job postings, only this time mine was from Leanne Monroe from wbdigitalSmedia.com. I thought the "S" in the URL was a special touch, since WB Digital Media may well be a legit enterprise, but WB Digitals Media most certainly isn't. As it happens, I am a laid-off magazine editor, so I empathize with your plight... it's been hard enough to even find listings in writing/editing, so when the few semi-legit looking postings turn up this sort of nonsense, my patience runs thin.

    I found your post by putting the credit report URL in Google along with the word "scam". Thank you for blogging about it.

    ReplyDelete
  3. FIRST!! Yes, Thank you very much for blogging it. I got the same letter today, 5/15/09. Mine was signed by Jermma Swartz, word for word... same letter.

    When I started reading it, I said YEA!!! Finally a bite... But the Credit report part.. Hmmmm... I have been around too long to fall for that, I have been an Accountant for over 30 years. Have seen/heard of many types of scams.

    The ad I responded to was for an "Accounting Assistant(orlando)" (Yes, Orlando was NOT capitalized). I am way over qualified for this position, but as stated.. in drastic times, you do drastic things. Unfortunately, many who do qualify for this position, may not be smart enough to see the scam to it.

    As "Nikki" stated, I, too, noticed the "S" in the email, googled it with "no responses found."

    Well, there went a nano second of hope.

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  4. From Annie:
    Dito, except I got it from Louise Jenkins and she doesn't use the "s." I found this blog when I googled "WB Digital Media"
    At least Amanda was addressed properly, all I got was "Dear." Didn't know Louise and I got that close from just my resume...

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  5. Guys I'm with you :) Another thing I found is domain registered in April. Therefore, "Our" company will turn soon 2 month! By the way my HR is Beth Wright.

    Thank you for starting this blog.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I'm in Cleveland and got the exact same message for a mortgage position on Craig's list. I got the same message verbatim. I googled the website and got the same screenshot, so I asked for a tax i.d. number. I haven't heard back. This message was from Beth Wright
    HR Assistant Manager
    WB Digital Media

    ReplyDelete
  7. jemma.swartz@wbdigitalsmedia.com working out of Greensboro, NC almost got me. I went looking for them after I read the request for my credit info and the grammatical errors in the letter - figured that if they had a brick and morter location in Greensboro I could get my own credit report from one of the big three and bring it with me. LOL I checked Google Maps and no hits. I'll write an email back offering to bring the info with me to the interview - just in case they are legit.

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  8. Like SunE said, thanks for blogging about this. I am in Chicago and I got the same exact email from "Emily Harrison, HR Assistant Manager at WB Digital Media." I responded to two craigslist ads, one for a bilingual administrative assistant and another one for a part time in law office position. When I got the same email from the same person for two different position I knew something was up. The first flag actually went up when I read this line, "This allows us to weed out false applications, time wasters, illegals and so forth." Some of these phrases do not sound like ones a professional company would be using (e.g. time wasters & illegals). Clearly, the credit report info request also seemed VERY shady. Like everyone else here I am looking for a job in these economic times and I got kind of desperate thus I resorted to craigslist. Many of you have years of experience and the job market is not looking good, so for me a recent grad with minimal experience it is just as bad if not worse.

    I think we should reply to these emails and give these people a fright. lol

    ReplyDelete
  9. First off I must thank you for the blog(s). This morning I recieved two emails for two different positions but from the same person, with the same verbage as above:
    Yours faithfully

    Leanne Monroe
    HR Assistant Manager
    WB Digital Media

    I wish I could trace their location and give them a scare. Thanks guys/gals for the heads up.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I got the exact email from "Julia". I immediately replied (though I doubt they ever read the replies) that any reputable company would do their own background check only AFTER an interview and a serious offer was being considered. I also told "her" that I love the "check all" feature in my inbox--I don't even have to read any bs emails like hers. I had replied to her post on Craigslist, Tampa Bay.

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  11. Ya sometimes you can find great stuff on craigslist, but it's almost not worth looking after how many spam ads there are :( I can't even say how many i've had returned. Looking for a place to live is just as bad as lookin for a job!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Ditto's all around, Jacksonville Craigslist, I got Julia Farmer as my HR assistant. I especially liked the Privacy statement at the bottom of the page.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Wow...these people get around. I responded to a Craigslist ad for a bookkeeper in Modesto, CA and got the same reply as in the original post.
    Time to flag the post for fraud.

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  14. I got the same response for a Litigation Assistant position in Kansas City from Julia Farmer. It is so infuriating that people pull this crap - some of us need jobs and do not need to waste time with spam!

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  15. Wow - I wondered how my wee little blog got so popular all of a sudden. I'm glad we are able to laugh at this situation ... instead of cry out of sheer frustration of being unemployed!

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  16. hilarious! that happened to me once for a design/marketing position on craigslist. almost the same, but instead they wanted me to take some crazy long "survey" that their customers also had to take, but at the end you are supposed to fill in "job opportunity" or something. Right. Because THAT makes sense. What is so great about my personal information? Why do people want it so bad? I'm broke, I'm unemployed, I have no credit and a shitty car. You want some buddy? Go right ahead!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Yeah,
    I almost fell into the trap as well. Looking for a job can be daunting and the position (customer service at an animal clinic)sounded great. Thank Goodness I came to my senses before it was too late. But yeah, my credit cards "don't work" anymore, I was laid off twice in the last 3 years and if Digital wants to take it on, BRING IT!!!!!!

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  18. I got the same email for a Janet Baker from "Digital Media," only her email address reads "DigitalsMedia.com." Bad move on her part and I am not doing a credit check for anyone first until I interview. I am sick of lame scammers like this that prey on people during difficult times.

    Sonnie from Illinois

    ReplyDelete
  19. *present and alive in Pittsburgh*

    Dear ****

    In reply to your application for the position at WB Digital Media, I would
    like to apologize for the delay in responding to your enquiry. The sheer
    volume of applicants from Craigslist for the position has been overwhelming.
    This has in turn had a knock on effect on the time taken to sort through the
    junk / spam applications and the serious candidates.

    I am however extremely happy to inform you that your resume or initial
    details have been reviewed positively and you have progressed to the final
    stage.

    We believe an employee who is well rewarded and motivated is the key to our
    growth oriented company, and for that reason our employees enjoy a
    competitive payment structure, health packages and additional key benefits
    to be discussed at interview stage.

    As part of our routine checks on all potential employees who have reached
    this stage, we require applicants to complete a security / credit check to
    verify your details.

    Please note: A negative credit rating will not be a determining factor in
    your eventual employment, (your credit itself is not relevant), a full
    credit check however does allow us to weed out time wasters and to verify
    accurately, legal US citizenship, employment history, social security
    references and a verifiable confirmation of address.

    To get your free report we recommend using this provider or another similar
    trusted company.

    http://check-your-credit-online.com/

    IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Please DO NOT under any circumstances email us your
    credit report as it contains confidential information that is purely for
    your own benefit.

    When the HR department contacts you again shortly with full details on the
    position, human resources will simply need some non confidential data from
    the report to verify your details.

    Once again, thank you for your interest in the position; we will be in
    further contact shortly.

    Yours faithfully,

    Louise Jenkins
    HR Assistant Manager
    WB Digital Media

    Privacy :
    This electronic message contains information, which may be privileged or
    confidential. The information is intended to be for the use of the
    individual(s) or entity named above. If you are not the intended recipient
    be aware that any disclosure, copying, distribution or use of the contents
    of this information is prohibited. If you have received this electronic
    message in error, please notify us by email immediately


    *jerks, praying on the hopes of poor, educated, unemployed Americans*

    ReplyDelete
  20. I would like to add myself to the mass of job seekers who has received this scam from Emily Harrison. What was Emily doing up at 2:47am.
    She must be very dedicated!!!

    Good Luck to all

    Spart

    ReplyDelete
  21. Myleene Davis was up at 3:00am she is also another dedicated employee!! I received the same letter as above. When I looked up the web address it also told me that site was down.
    Thanks to everyone for looking out.

    Memphis J

    ReplyDelete