Click here for a free download of the latest Adobe Flash Player.

Tools

Scam targets job seekers and businesses

By Melissa Yeager, WINK News

CAPE CORAL, Fla - You may be one of many people looking for work right now, you may go on-line to fill out applications and post your resume.

That's exactly why Cathryn Miller wanted CALL FOR ACTION to check out the latest scam targeting those looking for jobs. CALL FOR ACTION found an unexpected second victim of this crime.

Like many people, Miller goes on-line to apply for jobs. One of the places she found ads was the popular classified ads site "Craigslist."

"Came across a job for an accounts receivable clerk," she told CALL FOR ACTION, "So I applied to it. I sent my resume and I wrote a cover letter saying I was interested in the work."

When they hired her without an interview, she started sensing it was a scam. That's when she received checks by mail.

She was told to deposit them in her personal bank account and return 90 percent of the money to the company. Then she knew something was wrong.

"When they said they wanted to use my bank account. Being in bookkeeping, in accounting you don't use your personal account for someone else's business to collect customers payments. You gotta know somethings wrong," she told WINK NEWS.

WINK CALL FOR ACTION checked out the company named in the ad, EN Murray. We found it is a real business.

Vice President of Finance Russell Burghard says someone stole their good name to scam people out of money.

"These people have gone to our website and actually lifted some of the language about our products and stuck it in theirs," Burghard told CALL FOR ACTION in a phone interview.

The Colorado-based plastics company has received calls from across the country about the scam.

"It's frustrating because you don't know how to go after them (the scam artists)" said Burghard.

Miller wanted us to tell her story, to get the word out.

"It would be very tempting to take a two thousand dollar check and deposit it in your account. Especially if you're struggling financially and don't have any work. I can see where someone would easily fall victim to that," said Miller.

EN Murray plans on putting a warning on their website. Craigslist has flagged the ad on-line.

If you want to avoid being scammed--make sure you always deal with a company you can meet in person.

Don't ever give out your bank account information

This content requires the latest Adobe Flash Player and a browser with JavaScript enabled. Click here for a free download of the latest Adobe Flash Player.