by ITSATRAP
Thu Sep 05, 2019 3:32 pm
It looks like this scam is resurfacing, but now on platforms such as LinkedIn.
I was contacted on LinkedIn through InMail by a “Tom Curyto” regarding an Accounting/HR/Admin role. His profile had no picture and was not complete.
Hi,
Your experience as (REDACTED) stood out to me, when I came across your profile on LinkedIn. We're hiring at Gecko Group, and I think you could be a great fit for the Accounting/HR/Admin role. Would you be willing to connect for a brief chat about this opportunity?
Look forward to hearing from you!
Tom Curyto
I connected to hear more. (Later after I became suspicious, I went back through the correspondence only to find that the profile seemed to have been taken down. It no longer showed up in my regular message history, and when I went to access the chain via email, the profile only showed up as “LinkedIn User” where his name used to be.)
At this point, “Tom” (never to be heard from again) handed me off to another individual, “Dr. Timothy Christian.”
Please send your resume to ( [email protected] )for more details about the position.
Look forward to hearing from you!
I did so, still thinking it could be legit and received the following response:
Hello Applicant, Kindly open this link https://form.jotform.com/92306692039157 for more details about the Accounting Position. Thanks.
Unfortunately, the jotforms time out after too long (which is probably why they like using them), but what was contained within was eerily similar to what other people on this thread have described upon opening the jotforms that they received.
Upon opening the form, the reader is notified that the original role has already been closed/filled, but that there is a Personal Assistant role that is available (BAIT AND SWITCH).
Requested in the jotform to be filled out were:
-Contact info
-Eligibility to work in the US
-And a qualifying statement as to why one should be considered for the role
After filling out the form and submitting it, I sent the notification text to “Dr. Christian” as specified on the form, referencing Job Code “PA-3457.” The number provided by the way was (419) 948-3457. (I noticed that the last four digits of the phone number are also in the Job Code.)
I was contacted three days later, on a Sunday, which I found to be peculiar. This is where I became seriously suspicious and started researching.
The text chain is as follows (grammatical errors intact):
8/29/19 @ 9:31 PM Me: Hi, Dr. Christian. I am writing you in reference to Job Code PA-3457 (Personal Assistant). I have just completed the online application form for your consideration. Thank you.
9/1/19 @ 3:39 PM “Timothy Christian”: Hello (my name)
9/1/19 @ 3:43 PM “Timothy Christian”: This is Timothy is this (my name)?
9/1/19 @ 3:43 PM Me: Yes
9/1/19 @ 3:43 PM Me: Hi
9/1/19 @ 3:45 PM Me: How are you?
9/1/19 @ 3:46 PM “Timothy Christian”: Am alright and your self
9/1/19 @ 3:47 PM Me: Doing well. Thanks.
9/1/19 @ 3:47 PM “Timothy Christian”: I got your details and will like to reconfirm the position you are about to be holding
9/1/19 @ 3:50 PM Me: I had applied for the Personal Assistant role (Job Code PA-3457)
9/1/19 @ 3:51 PM “Timothy Christian”: Good
9/1/19 @ 3:52 PM “Timothy Christian”: Okay I must warn you ahead that i am a perfectionist and that i work strictly with time so i expect you to be on the same page with me on this
9/1/19 @ 3:53 PM Me: I completely understand. We are on the same page.
[Note: I am extremely suspicious at this point]
9/1/19 @ 4:04 PM “Timothy Christian”: Alright and would you please confirm to me if you do have your Mobil banking app on your cell phone
[Note: I heard this and thought it was a HUGE red flag]
9/1/19 @ 4:05 PM Me: Which mobile banking app?
9/1/19 @ 4:07 PM “Timothy Christian”: I mean your bank mobile app do you have it installed on your cell phone?
9/1/19 @ 4:08 PM Me: Yes
9/1/19 @ 4:11 PM “Timothy Christian”: Sound good I have been checking files and schedules and would need you to urgently run some tasks for me this next week. My Financial Adviser will issue you a Check to execute the task with and complete the assignment.
9/1/19 @ 4:42 PM Me: When will the first interview be taking place? I would love the chance to talk to someone in person about the opportunity.
9/1/19 @ 4:42 PM “Timothy Christian”: Did you get my last message ?
9/1/19 @ 4:45 PM “Timothy Christian”: That would be after i get back presently in Istanbul we would get to meet and talk
9/1/19 @ 4:51 PM Me: Okay. In the meantime, what do you require of me? Is there a point of contact for this coming week’s assignments?
9/1/19 @ 4:58 PM “Timothy Christian”: I will definitely keep you posted this once my financial adviser issue you the Check to execute your first task and will email you the instruction on how to go about it
9/1/19 @ 5:49 PM Me: Thank you
9/2/19 @ 4:55 PM “Timothy Christian”: Hello (my last name only)
9/2/19 @ 5:10 PM “Timothy Christian”: Happy Holiday and hope you are enjoying your day so far ?
9/2/19 @ 6:11 PM Me: Yes, thank you
9/3/19 @ 11:58 AM “Timothy Christian”: Hello
9/3/19 @ 12:00 PM Me: Hello
9/3/19 @ 5:40 PM “Timothy Christian”: How are you doing today?
9/3/19 @ 5:41 PM Me: Doing well. How about you?
End Transmission. That was the last interaction, which as of the date of this post, was two days ago. I do not plan on interacting further with the scammer.
I hope this has been helpful. Reading this thread has definitely been useful for me, and I just wanted to assist anyone else who may encounter something similar in the future.
I was contacted on LinkedIn through InMail by a “Tom Curyto” regarding an Accounting/HR/Admin role. His profile had no picture and was not complete.
Hi,
Your experience as (REDACTED) stood out to me, when I came across your profile on LinkedIn. We're hiring at Gecko Group, and I think you could be a great fit for the Accounting/HR/Admin role. Would you be willing to connect for a brief chat about this opportunity?
Look forward to hearing from you!
Tom Curyto
I connected to hear more. (Later after I became suspicious, I went back through the correspondence only to find that the profile seemed to have been taken down. It no longer showed up in my regular message history, and when I went to access the chain via email, the profile only showed up as “LinkedIn User” where his name used to be.)
At this point, “Tom” (never to be heard from again) handed me off to another individual, “Dr. Timothy Christian.”
Please send your resume to ( [email protected] )for more details about the position.
Look forward to hearing from you!
I did so, still thinking it could be legit and received the following response:
Hello Applicant, Kindly open this link https://form.jotform.com/92306692039157 for more details about the Accounting Position. Thanks.
Unfortunately, the jotforms time out after too long (which is probably why they like using them), but what was contained within was eerily similar to what other people on this thread have described upon opening the jotforms that they received.
Upon opening the form, the reader is notified that the original role has already been closed/filled, but that there is a Personal Assistant role that is available (BAIT AND SWITCH).
Requested in the jotform to be filled out were:
-Contact info
-Eligibility to work in the US
-And a qualifying statement as to why one should be considered for the role
After filling out the form and submitting it, I sent the notification text to “Dr. Christian” as specified on the form, referencing Job Code “PA-3457.” The number provided by the way was (419) 948-3457. (I noticed that the last four digits of the phone number are also in the Job Code.)
I was contacted three days later, on a Sunday, which I found to be peculiar. This is where I became seriously suspicious and started researching.
The text chain is as follows (grammatical errors intact):
8/29/19 @ 9:31 PM Me: Hi, Dr. Christian. I am writing you in reference to Job Code PA-3457 (Personal Assistant). I have just completed the online application form for your consideration. Thank you.
9/1/19 @ 3:39 PM “Timothy Christian”: Hello (my name)
9/1/19 @ 3:43 PM “Timothy Christian”: This is Timothy is this (my name)?
9/1/19 @ 3:43 PM Me: Yes
9/1/19 @ 3:43 PM Me: Hi
9/1/19 @ 3:45 PM Me: How are you?
9/1/19 @ 3:46 PM “Timothy Christian”: Am alright and your self
9/1/19 @ 3:47 PM Me: Doing well. Thanks.
9/1/19 @ 3:47 PM “Timothy Christian”: I got your details and will like to reconfirm the position you are about to be holding
9/1/19 @ 3:50 PM Me: I had applied for the Personal Assistant role (Job Code PA-3457)
9/1/19 @ 3:51 PM “Timothy Christian”: Good
9/1/19 @ 3:52 PM “Timothy Christian”: Okay I must warn you ahead that i am a perfectionist and that i work strictly with time so i expect you to be on the same page with me on this
9/1/19 @ 3:53 PM Me: I completely understand. We are on the same page.
[Note: I am extremely suspicious at this point]
9/1/19 @ 4:04 PM “Timothy Christian”: Alright and would you please confirm to me if you do have your Mobil banking app on your cell phone
[Note: I heard this and thought it was a HUGE red flag]
9/1/19 @ 4:05 PM Me: Which mobile banking app?
9/1/19 @ 4:07 PM “Timothy Christian”: I mean your bank mobile app do you have it installed on your cell phone?
9/1/19 @ 4:08 PM Me: Yes
9/1/19 @ 4:11 PM “Timothy Christian”: Sound good I have been checking files and schedules and would need you to urgently run some tasks for me this next week. My Financial Adviser will issue you a Check to execute the task with and complete the assignment.
9/1/19 @ 4:42 PM Me: When will the first interview be taking place? I would love the chance to talk to someone in person about the opportunity.
9/1/19 @ 4:42 PM “Timothy Christian”: Did you get my last message ?
9/1/19 @ 4:45 PM “Timothy Christian”: That would be after i get back presently in Istanbul we would get to meet and talk
9/1/19 @ 4:51 PM Me: Okay. In the meantime, what do you require of me? Is there a point of contact for this coming week’s assignments?
9/1/19 @ 4:58 PM “Timothy Christian”: I will definitely keep you posted this once my financial adviser issue you the Check to execute your first task and will email you the instruction on how to go about it
9/1/19 @ 5:49 PM Me: Thank you
9/2/19 @ 4:55 PM “Timothy Christian”: Hello (my last name only)
9/2/19 @ 5:10 PM “Timothy Christian”: Happy Holiday and hope you are enjoying your day so far ?
9/2/19 @ 6:11 PM Me: Yes, thank you
9/3/19 @ 11:58 AM “Timothy Christian”: Hello
9/3/19 @ 12:00 PM Me: Hello
9/3/19 @ 5:40 PM “Timothy Christian”: How are you doing today?
9/3/19 @ 5:41 PM Me: Doing well. How about you?
End Transmission. That was the last interaction, which as of the date of this post, was two days ago. I do not plan on interacting further with the scammer.
I hope this has been helpful. Reading this thread has definitely been useful for me, and I just wanted to assist anyone else who may encounter something similar in the future.
