Administrative Assistant ad on Craigslist

Hey everyone, I've been getting emails saying basically the same thing from a man named Michael Moore. He even gave me a website to look at.

"Your resume was received and it has been reviewed, I did appreciate it. it's reasonable and acceptable. So I will give this a go.

I'm looking for someone that can be trusted and reliable, someone with good understanding and working skills.

I am Michael Moore , 49 yrs of age, I'm Self employed..I own a small and fast growing Textile and Fabrics Company in Bronx,NY and I have been pretty successful in a handful of ventures I get involved in; from the Angel of importing fabrics to various welfare and community service programs. I most very often get my hands occupied, so it is imperative for me to have a worthy assistant who can monitor and keep me up to date with my activities.This position is home-based and flexible, working with me is basically about instructions and following them. My only fear is that I may come at you impromptu sometimes, so i need someone who can be able to meet up with my irregular timings.

As my personal assistant, your activities among others will include:

*Create and modify documents using Microsoft Office
*Running personal errands, supervisions and monitoring.
*Scheduling programmes, flights and keeping me up to date with them.
*Acting as an alternative telephone correspondence while I'm away.
*Making regular contacts and drop-offs on my behalf.
*Handling and monitoring some of my financial activities..

*Basic wage is $400 a week .

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

*Good planning, communication and organization skills
*Must be honest, reliable & dependable
*Excellent verbal & written communication skills
*Must have strong problem solving skills
*Must be organized & extremely detail oriented
*Experience working with the internet, email.
*Ability to multi-task and self manage 24/7 mindset
*A willingness to do whatever needs to be done is a must

NOTE: The above qualification requirements can also be learnt if you are willing to take up the challenges.

I'm sure you'll understand I tend to have a very busy schedule at this point, i will be attending a manufacturer summit in Malaysia and my flight leaves TODAY . I will be back in Three weeks, I also need you because i have some meetings in Chicago,IL to attend but i won't be able to so you would have to represent me there... I will pay all the cost.

I think you're the right person for this post, Please note that this position is not office based for now because of my frequent travels and tight schedules. It's a part-time, work from home basis and the flexibility means that there will be busier weeks than others. So it's a little difficult judging the exact number of hours you'll be doing per week. If you can manage your time properly, this job may even give you some extra while you do something else on the side. As I have said, I'd want us to get a head start with things as soon as possible. I do have a pile up of work and a number of unattended chores which you can immediately assist me with. I hope we can meet up with the workload eventually. Permit me to use this week to test your efficiency and diligence towards all this, also to work out your time schedule and fit it to mine.

I really need to find the perfect person for this job and i am confident you can take up the challenges. On the long run we should have a relatively sound working relationship between us.I'm online most of the time as I am hard of hearing so I prefer we contact each other through E-mails but if there is need for me to call, I will be glad to do that. I am glad you are willing to work with me and i promise to be a good boss. I am also glad on the commitment in working. I have been checking my files and what i would want you to do for me this week is to run some errands out to some of the orphanage home which I do every month.

PLEASE FILL THE APPLICATION FORM BELOW;

First Name :
Last Name :
Full Street Address(Not PO BOX):
City, State, Zip Code :
Cell Phone Number:
Home Phone Number:
Current Occupation :
Email Address :

Once I have receive your application form, I will get back to you with the task for this week. Please understand that you will also be paid as well as its important for me to make the necessary steps before i get back from my business trip. I hope i am clear with that?

NOTE: This position is home-based and flexible part time job, you can be in any location, work from your home doing all the activities.

AVAILABILITY:

How often do you check your email daily___________

Please get back as soon as possible.

Michael
http://www.remexfabntexltd.com
347-995-4219"

He was using the email address [email protected]

This guy is really good at responding and sounding legit. I almost bought it. Thanks for posting all of this, otherwise I would be screwed right now.

So I was searching craigslist yesterday and found an administrative assistant job and receieved an email that sounds very similar to all of these other emails...except its under a different name! i thought maybe it was going to be ok but then this morning i recieved an email from another ad on craigslist that was too similar to the first one that i just knew it had to be a scam...2 different posts, 2 different people posing!!! heres both of the emails just to warn that now there are more than one name out there...


Dear Applicant,

Hope you're having a pleasant day today.You contacted me applying for the Administrative assistant position which I advertised,I'm also convinced and confident that you can take up the challenges ahead of you .however,here are some insightful details about this position which i want you to take note and feel free to pass any questions on.

I'm Mr Will Patton,Married with 4 wonderful children. I'm a relatively successful entrepreneur and huge investor in the real estate market which tends to be my main source of income.

I'm a private research journalist and I travel every now and then within and outside the US working on various independent projects,
that's why I'm appointing you to keep up to date with all of my activities especially when I'm away and amidst my busy schedule.
Please note that you are being hired only on a personal level, all correspondences would be made and promptly reported to me personally.

Due to my frequent travels, the position is full time and home-based meaning you may need to set up a home-office if you don't already have one; we will discuss the costs of setting this up as we move along.
Most importantly, you need to have a regular internet access, with this, I can easily convey instructions no matter where I am on what need to be done at a particular time.

Most of your activities will be carried out locally and most official documents and packages will be delivered via courier services. You will be actively involved in my personal, business and financial life.
In summary, your activities as my Administrative Assistant amongst other things will include;

* Running personal errands, supervisions and monitoring; * Organizing and maintaining diaries, memos and making appointments;
* Taking on some of the my responsibilities and working more closely with management and other staff related to me;
* Handling and monitoring financial activities

Basic wage is $500 a week. Any extra personal expenses (transport, gas, etc) incurred by you while on an errand or otherwise will also be reimbursed by me at the end of each working week.
This position is very flexible and it is difficult judging the exact number of hours you will be doing,
Working with me is basically about instructions and following them, ,so I need someone who can be able to meet up with my irregular timings. There is also a very sensitive issue on trust, dedication and accountability which I believe will resolve itself as time goes on.

This is only an introductory e-mail, as time goes on we should be able to arrange a proper meeting to get things started officially. I am
presently in Ontario Canada for a business exhibition, however, I do have a number of things you could assist me with immediately, prior to my arrival.

Do fill the employment form below for my personal record update in my data base

EMPLOYMENT FORM:

Full Names
Full Contact Address not box.
City
State
Zip Code Phone Number
Phone Number
email address:
current or last Occupation


Sign
Mr Will Patton


[email protected]

Where are you located? I would love to meet up with you to talk about this job but I am currently away on business.. I am in Australia so there will be no interview. I will prepay you in advance to do my shopping. I will also have my mails and packages forwarded to your address.. If you will be unable to stay at your house to get my mails, I can have it shipped to a post office near you and then you can pick it up at your convenience. When you get my mails/packages; you are required to mail them to where I want them mailed to. You don't have to put money out of your pocket, all you have to do is have packages shipped to your house and do my shopping. You are allowed to open the packages to reveal its content. The content of the packages are computer and electronics, clothing's business and personal letters. All expenses and taxes will be covered by me. You will work between 15 and 20hrs a month. How much will you charge per week? I will pay $350.00. That is not a bad offer is it? I need your service because I am constantly out of town. I work in real estate and I own an Art Gallery in Australia. I will return to USA in MAY so this process will be on going till then. If you don't mind, I will meet up with you when I return and then we can talk about the possibility of making this long term. Well, let me know if you are able to handle the position. Hope to hear I will email you t he list and pictures of what to shop for when I am ready.. No heavy packages is involved! You can do the shopping at any nearest stores. You will be shopping for Electronics and clothings. I will provide you my personal UPS account number for Shipping. All you have to do is provide my account number to UPS and shipping charges will be applied into the account. I will provide clear set of instructions for each task I need done as well the funds to cover them. If I were to mail you money to do m y shopping plus upfront payment for your service, where would you want it mailed to? How should your name appear on the money? Maybe you can provide me with the following details below :-

Full Name:
Full Address:
(NO P.O.BOX)
City:
State:
Country:
Zip Code:
Phone Number:
Age:

I will be expecting your respond towards my request. Hope to read from you as soon as possible.Thanks for your co-operation and understanding .


Best Regards,



This one wasn't signed either which caught my eye as well...the grammar is also a little weird in the first one which kind of made me wonder since we have almost been scammed by cars on craigslist before. Its so unfortunate that people are finding ways to do this! Thanks for all the past posts confirming my fears! hope this helps everyone out there looking for jobs!

Welcome halley, and congratulations!
You spotted a scam which wants to turn you into a mule: Buying and shipping goods and paying probably either with fake cheques or the stolen details of a credit card and UPS account.
I googled the email address, and the scammer posted similar advertisements on Craigslist in Salt Lake City, New York, and the Netherlands.
It would help the experts here (I am not one of them) to give you more information if you could post his full email including the header - delete your own name. This way, often we can find out where the mail was actually sent from.
Best wishes
Katharina

Edit: Found another advertisement for a job in Columbus

O wow... a little bit a research after some good old inner intuition and guess what this guy is still out there. After a few emails back and forth, I thought scam, I've never been scammed before or encounter something like this. This is crazy, but I have a good feeling it's the same guy/people. Check it out:
His craigslist add:

Assists the office staff with various administrative functions by performing the following duties.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Maintain client files.
Receive, process, sort, and distribute inbound mail
Sort and distribute incoming faxes to proper personnel
Research and resolve problems as they arise through the use of various resources
Responsible for end of day tasks and duties including but not limited to the following:

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE
High school diploma or general education degree (GED); six months to one year related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

LANGUAGE SKILLS:
Ability to clearly and effectively present information and respond to questions from managers, clients, and peers, in English, over the telephone and in writing.

COMPUTER SKILLS/SOFTWARE TRAINING:
Basic computer knowledge including MS Word and Excel and Internet

If you have the above skills you will be a great addition to our team! Please Apply Now!!



* Location: seattle/olympia/thurston
* Compensation: $18.00-$21.00/hr
* Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
* Please, no phone calls about this job!
* Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.



PostingID: 2294071846


Our email convos:
On Thu, 3/31/11, H Clerk <[email protected]> wrote:


From: H Clerk <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Administrative Assistant/Receptionist Job Posting
To: "removed" Date: Thursday, March 31, 2011, 4:34 PM

Hello,
I just received your email,that you are interested in the job.I am replying you back this job offer,because i really needed someone urgently to start working for me as my persona assistant.My name is Scott Thomas and Mr Wimi Jonx use to be my personal assistant and he just traveled back to his country (China) on an emergency.I would have loved to meet up with you to talk about this job,but I am currently away on business trip.I am currently in Australia so there will be no interview,till i get back to the USA in May,then we can meet and talk more about the future of the job. All you need to do is follow instructions......I am an Artist.I just started my own art gallery here in Australia, I buy ideas and materials from ancient cities and I have got so many clients as companies, individuals and government and private museums.

I am looking for someone who can handle my personal and business errands at his/her spare time. Someone who can offer the services listed on the advert on craigslist such as receiving calls and reporting back to me what information you got from clients, replying emails and printing invitation for exhibitions, shopping for gifts and materials, paying bills as well as receiving payments from clients when am not around.
You will work on the average of about 5-10hrs per week and I will start by paying you $250 per week which will rise to $400 depending on how effective you are, the job will start from the moment you start running errands. This job is
temporary and could possibly be a permanent one for you based on how you deliver your duties, we will talk more when am back and you can take part more in my successfully growing business.

I will email you the list and samples of pictures of what to shop for when I need you to shop for me and will be precise on what and where, funds will be giving upfront and the shopping must be reported in detailed manner. No heavy
packages is involved! You can do the shopping at any nearest stores. I will provide clear set of instructions for each task I need done as well the funds to cover them.

Please provide the following information of you, (no mistakes in name as it will
appear on payments):
Full Name:
Full Address:
Apartment number:
City:
State:
zipcode:
(NO P.O.BOX)
Phone Number:
Age:
Current Occupation:
Once you send all this information,i will make a back ground check on your details and will get back to you within 48hrs to let you know if you get the job.

Thank you!
Thomas





One more email later from him to me:

From: H Clerk <[email protected]>
Subject: First Package Delivery
To: <removed-dotti>
Date: Wednesday, April 13, 2011, 10:59 AM

Dear x,

How are you doing today and your family,hope you are all enjoyed your self?.I am e-mailing you to let you know that you will be receiving the first package before this week runs out and it will be deliver to you via Regular Mail.And i will also like to let you know that the check you will be receiving include your first week Wages and the remaining balance is for my wife shopping.I will be e-mailing you later to let you know what to do with it.So as soon as you receive the check,i will like you to have the check deposit into your bank account,so that your bank can verify the check before clearing it into your account.And the process shouldn't take more than 24 hours for the money to clear into your account...I will like you to e-mail me as soon as you receive the payment in the post.Kindly e-mail me back to confirm that you get this e-mail.

Thanks

Thomas.



Now I just wanna have a "fist to face" interview with this SOB. Should I keep playing along and turn in this "package" to the police? Or just call him out on his bs/forget about it?

Welcome Eternium, and thanks for posting!
Unfortunately, this scammer has got your real life details, so please don't mess with him. He might not show up at your doorstep, but why take the risk?
And please don't confront him with how you found out. This would help him to elaborate his shtick, and the next victim might be tricked. Just drop him and leave him wondering what went wrong.
If you want to harass him, go to our sister site,
http://forum.419eater.com/forum/
There we will show you how to waste scammers' time anonymously, without them being able to find you.
Congratulations on finding out in time!

Received two similar emails within a couple of days.
Here is full header info on the last. Hope this helps identify this jerk.
Have XXX ed out my info, hopefully.

--------------------------------------------------------------
Return-Path: [email protected]
Received: from imta22.westchester.pa.mail.comcast.net (LHLO
imta22.westchester.pa.mail.comcast.net) (76.96.62.39) by
sz0069.ev.mail.comcast.net with LMTP; Mon, 18 Apr 2011 09:02:17 +0000 (UTC)
Received: from mail-bw0-f66.google.com ([209.85.214.66])
by imta22.westchester.pa.mail.comcast.net with comcast
id Yx2H1g00C1SXQ8p0Nx2Huq; Mon, 18 Apr 2011 09:02:18 +0000
X-CAA-SPAM: F00000
X-Authority-Analysis: v=1.1 cv=BmYhRIQl5Bp1ru+//0W5STvtffGMubLR0bzsgavlGC0=
c=1 sm=1 a=lBUdrX3PaXgA:10 a=D706qfWtk7QA:10 a=YBq0Mk-nE8QA:10
a=C_IRinGWAAAA:8 a=jU4qhlNgAAAA:8 a=b4KrJKo_AAAA:8 a=JhpGtOqwdI8jUvkv_ngA:9
a=gfbVz0-HykNJNXs770YA:7 a=pILNOxqGKmIA:10 a=V9mMo3oSAXcA:10
a=dgt9Cah0AvMA:10 a=nObsIwuFWwEA:10 a=si9q_4b84H0A:10 a=cML1mwAmxKAA:10
a=1r6YRp3h8ZI1Iqp5:21 a=qvLH6bGTsSfTpZIX:21 a=vUjgOhmwx53ydNBHnv0A:9
a=87u5c4tRLsK7ZczbiFAA:7 a=AQmUtca6bgiwwkSuQrXCew==:117
Received: XXXXXXXXXXX
for <[email protected]>; Mon, 18 Apr 2011 02:02:16 -0700 (PDT)
MIME-Version: 1.0
Received: by 10.204.26.132 with SMTP id e4mr2371891bkc.142.1303117333819; Mon,
18 Apr 2011 02:02:13 -0700 (PDT)
Received: by 10.204.49.131 with HTTP; Mon, 18 Apr 2011 02:02:13 -0700 (PDT)
X-Originating-IP: [2.123.195.40]
In-Reply-To: <004601cbfd24$1c5a48c0$550eda40$@net>
References: <004601cbfd24$1c5a48c0$550eda40$@net>
Date: Mon, 18 Apr 2011 10:02:13 +0100
Message-ID: <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Administrative Assistant/Receptionist
From: Thomas Harris <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]>
Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary=00032555ae7ac88f4304a12da5f0

Hi ABenson, welcome to scamwarners.

I see that there is a custom domain set up for the scammers - could you please post the emails here? We can try to get rythmcorp.com closed down

Well, this is great. I decided to search this guy's email after giving him my info/celebrating getting "hired".
Any idea what sort of packages he wants picked up? Recommendations on what to do?

Here's the 2 emails I've received from him:


Hello,
I just received your email,that you are interested in the job.I am replying you back this job offer,because i really needed someone urgently to start working for me as my persona assistant.My name is Thomas Harris and Mr Wimi Jonx use to be my personal assistantand he just traveled back to his country (China) on an emergency.I would have loved to meet up with you to talk about this job,but I am currently away on business trip.I am currently in Australia so there will be no interview,till i get back to the USA in June,then we can meet and talk more about the future of the job. All you need to do is follow instructions......I am an Artist.I just started my own art gallery here in Australia, I buy ideas and materials from ancient cities and I have got so many clients as companies, individuals and government and private museums.

I am looking for someone who can handle my personal and business errands at his/her spare time. Someone who can offer the services listed on the advert on craigslist such as receiving calls and reporting back to me what information you got from clients, replying emails and printing invitation for exhibitions, shopping for gifts and materials, paying bills as well as receiving payments from clients when am not around.

You will work on the average of about 5-10hrs per week and I will start by paying you $250 per week which will rise to $400 depending on how effective you are, the job will start from the moment you start running errands. This job is temporary and could possibly be a permanent one for you based on how you deliver your duties, we will talk more when am back and you can take part more in my successfully growing business.

I will email you the list and samples of pictures of what to shop for when I need you to shop for me and will be precise on what and where, funds will be giving upfront and the shopping must be reported in detailed manner. No heavy packages is involved! You can do the shopping at any nearest stores. I will provide clear set of instructions for each task I need done as well the funds to cover them.

Please provide the following information of you, (no mistakes in name as it will appear on payments):

Full Name:
Full Address:
Apartment number:
City:
State:
zipcode:
(NO P.O.BOX)
Phone Number:
Age:
Current Occupation:

Once you send all this information,i will make a back ground check on your details and will get back to you within 48hrs to let you know if you get the job.

Thank you!

Thomas Harris

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hello X,
Thanks for the Swift Response,i am more than happy to inform you that your position has been confirmed,i will get back to you as soon as i have Payment for shopping of items Including your salary sent to you with set of Instructions on each task you are to perform.Your Total commitment is However Needed.And this job require you to check your e-mail at least 2 to 3 times a day.
I await your Response
Thanks
Thomas

Welcome to Scamwarners Gatsby.

Though there is a risk he'll use you to make purchases using stolen card details, the greater likelihood is that all the talk about shopping and picking up parcels is all just 'smoke and mirrors' to cover what will turn out to be wanting you to cash his counterfeit cheques and send him your cash out of your bank account.

I believe that there is an industry in printing counterfeit cheques and they're being sold to scammers as a business opportunity and that's why this type of scam is pushed so hard. It's not an easy one to pull off and it requires a lot of set up and work on the scammer's part, so I think it's the cheque printers who are the ones making the money and driving this scam.

Of course the evil part of this scam is that not only do you lose money, but you also break the law and can end up in serious trouble. Passing counterfeit paper will also destroy your credit rating and potentially destroy your career prospects.

So he's called me 3 times already. in the past 3 days. I confronted him and I was pretty pissed off this time so I told him off, stop calling me, then he threatened to come after me and I told him to go ahead, bring your hindu haji scott thomas ass up here Mother Frakker. Can barely speak english too. He must be pretty desperate since he called me. I've already spoken to a detective. The first 2 calls from him I believe came from United Kingdom. Today's call came from California. I really want this guy caught.

Hello Eternium, we too would like to get all scammers closed down. It is not that easy to do. The criminal must be identified. A crime must have been committed (calling you three times is not a crime) and evidence must be presented. Then there is the jurisdictional dispute between the country you are in and the country the scammer is in.

I really wish it would work easily and simply. Sadly, it doesn't. You can post the phone number here and there are sites for posting problem phone numbers. Thank you for being a member here.

Hey there,

I just got a 2,769 dollar check from Mr. Thomas Harris douche-face.

He's still convinced that I know nothing about his scam; what can I do to mess with him? Would it be possible to get him caught?

419eater.com is the place to go to learn how to 'bait' 419 scammers safely without risk to yourself. I'm a member there but in this instance you have to drop him as he has your personal details. You can connect up with him again once you have your security set up (which is simple) but scammers will make threats if you mess with them, and it's not worth allowing them to spook you with threats if they know where you live. Many have connections abroad and though the risks are not great, it's much nicer to be able to laugh at their threats if you know they have no chance of harming you.

I understand your anger and desire for revenge and satisfaction, but it's wisest and simple to do it smartly, and nothing is more satisfying than wasting a scammer's time which leaves them less time to mess with potential victims.

I had contact with a similar guy. Reading through his email, something didn't ring true. I realized later it was because the ad I had originally replied to referenced a tile store, but the email I received as a response was from an "attorney." Oops!

This scam is tricky because a lot of the usual red flags aren't there. He's offering $250-$400 per week, which doesn't seem like much, tbh. The tasks are pretty descriptive. I also like how he included the "foster home." It's not immediately apparently how he intends to scam you. I also googled the attorney he's claiming to be and the guy appears to exist and have a legitimate law firm. He used several email addresses - the original one on the ad was [email protected], but he replied to my inquiry from "Daphne Lau [email protected]". He's also using the Kelly Herston email address at the bottom of his email. Here's what he sent:

Hello,

How are you doing today? Thanks for applying to the post. Actually the position for a Personal Assistant is opened now it would be a great pleasure to have you as my assistant.

My name is Kelly Herston,I am an attorney and have been practicing for 10 years I am in need of a personal assistant that can handle my official and personal needs when I am not around. The job is on a part time basis and it may turn round to be a full time one in the future if the need be. I travel a lot because of my kind of work and I have strong interaction with some international organization. I am an international lawyer and I have a license to practice in three states in the USA but I will have to streamline my personality to few ones here and after which you will get all necessary details about me after your trial assignment for security reasons. I have to go through some recruitment procedures as an attorney but due to my absence in the states at the moment, I will have to do it in my own way and later finish up with the documentation. I am presently in a summit in Australia and I will get back to the states in three weeks time so pending the time I return back to the State you will be working at the Convenience of your Home.


Your work details are as follows:

* Printing and sending out mails for me.
* Help make hotel or flight reservation while I provide all my personal and delicate information to secure booking.
* Handling and monitoring some of my administrative files and financial activities.
* Running personal errands, supervisions and monitoring.
* Acting as an alternative telephone correspondence when I'm away.

I hope you understand the job details very well and some shall be discussed in full as soon as we move on. The most important thing is trust and proper accountability, which I believe it will resolve itself as time goes on. The basic wage again is $250 weekly(I increase your wage to $400 after 2 weeks trial period ) and I want you to understand that paying this kind of wage means you need to do my work or the duties assigned to you perfectly... I hope you will be a very good and commendable personal assistant that I can trust because my work may come in at anytime. For documentation and confirmation with regardless of the information on your resume, I will need you to provide me with the information below:

Full Legal Name:
Home Mailing Address (NOT PO BOX):
APT #:
City:
State:
Zip-Code:
Home Phone Number:
Mobile Phone Number:
Present occupation:

I believe you have accepted the job offer as soon as I receive the above information from you and I will also put you through a week trial assignment to determine our work rate and efficiency in carrying out duties. You shall help with buying and mailings of some basic children needs to foster home I do this once every month.
You shall be sent funds to purchase all these items and also be paid for the trial week; I can also give you some other duties to do apart from that during the trial week. I hope I have been able to express in details all the things involved and understand that you are working with a man of great dignity, integrity and respect.
Regards .
Kelly Herston Esq.
[email protected]

Welcome to scamwarners, hellokitty1550!
It sounds like you are going to be used as a mule. Please read these threads to get an idea of what the scammer might be "hiring" you for:

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=3238

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=6196

viewtopic.php?f=34&t=12733&hilit=personal+assistant+scam

I'm glad that you researched this and didn't fall for the scam.