Administrative Assistant ad on Craigslist

I just got this email today, I'm really glad I decided to investigate it.

Hello,
I just received an email from Craigslist 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 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 October,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 Cell:
Phone Number Home:
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

This is the email address it came from: [email protected]

welcome to Scamwarners. That's a typical scam, so I'm glad you didn't fall for it.

GOOD THING I FOUND THIS WEBSITE BEFORE I RESPONDED. i WAS THINKING ABOUT SENDING THEM THE ADRESS FOR THE POLICE STATION INSTEAD OF THE POST OFFICE LOL


Hello,

My name is Kelly Campbell..Its nice to read from you that you are interested in knowing more about the part time job offer.Debra seal is my hiring manager so she put up the job posting on CL.I am looking for someone who can handle my personal and business errands at his/her spare time. Someone who can offer me these services:Mail services: Receive my mails and drop them off at FedEx,Dhl,Ups(nothing illegal).Shop for Gifts,Sit for delivery( at your home) or pick items up at nearby post office at your convenience.I would love to meet up with you to talk about this job if you will like to work full time.But i am currently away to see my family.


I am in united kingdom so there will be no interview for now. 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 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 month? I will pay $400 weekly. That is not a bad offer is it? I need your service because I am constantly out of town. I will be back to the states on september 12th to set-up a store,so this process will be going on 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..If you are able to handle it. I will email you the list and pictures of what to shop for when I am ready. No heavy packages is involved! You can do the shopping at Sears, Walmart,Bestbuy,Circuicity,Oldnavy and other stores. You will be shopping for Electronics and clothings.I will provide you my UPS,DHL,FEDEX account number for Shipping.

All you have to do is provide my account number to UPS,DHL,FEDEX 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 order to do my shopping plus upfront payment for your service, where would you want it mailed to? How should your full name appear on the money order?I will need the information below:

Full Name..

Full Address.. (No P o Box)

City:

State..

zip code..

Phone Number..

Cell Number..

Age....

Present Job....

Nationality....

Sex....


I will be expecting your mail soon.

The address of the nearest Post Office to you for receiving packages:-

Name:

Address:

City:

State:

Post Code:


NB: Payment will made out to you by Cashier Check or Money order.


Kelly Campbell...

Hello!
I'm glad you found the site too! Can you please post the scammers email address? It will help others that search for it find this thread.

Justin

I THINK THIS IS THE LATEST VERSION OF THIS SCAM. I JUST RECEIVED THIS EMAIL THIS MORNING!

Application Details
............................
My name is Mark Ramsey, 49yrs old,married with 2 kids, I'm currently lecturing college students on constructions.(lecturing college students ON constructions? word up? c'mon son!!)

I need someone to work with me from his or her home as assistant to monitor and keep me up to date with my online activities that all.

Duties and Requirements:
Process all owner distribution batches – print checks, statements and mail on a timely basis.
checking store supplies and placing orders
Type various letters ,Prepare 3 Day Notices.
Retrieve and process faxes
Deposit and monitor payments of all owner contributions.

Available during regular business hours
Organized and able to take instructions well
Dependable, Reliable, Trustworthy a must
Excellent English language skills (both spoken and written)
Must have good attention to detail
Must be a problem solver and not a problem maker
Have great work ethic and attitude, as well as people skills
pay-attention to detail, capable of multi-tasking, and works well under stress at times.

Benefits:
- Yearly performance bonus
- Paid vacation/sick/personal days


Working hours:Mon-Friday

Total Hours (Per Week):25hours

Salary:$500 weekly($2,000 monthly)

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

Am out of state for now on business, I'll be back in next two weeks as i want you to start working for me prior my arrival and I do have numbers of things you could help me with this week if you will be available to start.This can act as a stable foundation to our working relationship together.

I have first task waiting for you to know if you are ready to work.

I want to know if you own any of this office equipments list you need to start this position:

Printer:
Personal Laptop/Desktop:
Internet Access:
Scanner:
Calculator:

If you have any of this office equipments let me know also fill the application form below.

APPLICATION FORM

First Name :
Last Name:
Full Street Address(not po box) :
City, State, Zip Code:
Cell Phone Number:
Home Phone Number:
Email:
Age:
Sex:
Status:
Yahoo Messenger ID:
Note:If you do not have yahoo ID set-up one to chat with me online.

Nationality___________________

Current Job:__________________________
Are you eligible to work in the United States?Yes____ No_____

If you are under age 18, do you have an employment/age certificate?Yes___ No___

POSITION/AVAILABILITY:

Position Applied For_________________

How often do you check your email:______________

Specify the hours that you will be available if my schedule doesn't work with the hours i requested Days/Hours Available:

Monday____
Tuesday____
Wednesday____
Thursday____
Friday____
Saturday____
Sunday____
Hours Available: from_______ to______

What date are you available to start work?________________

Thanks so much.
Email: [email protected]
Mr Mark.

****Glad I googled this, some of the sentences are word for word with other people!****


Hope you are having a pleasant day.

I received your e-mail and it was a great hearing back from you. I hope this marks the beginning of a good working relationship all together.

From the details you have sent to me, I would want to give you the opportunity to be my new assistant; I do hope my decision would be worthwhile. I'll be using the next couple of weeks to test your efficiency and diligence towards the position, also to work out your time schedule and fit it to mine. I really need to find the perfect person for this job, I'm confident you can take up the challenge and on the long run we should have a relatively sound working relationship between us.

I want you to also meet me up on Yahoo! chat as soon as possible so we may discuss extensively, more so it's easier for me to convey more information when I'm online. My ID is [email protected] do send me a friend's request as soon as you are able to. Due to the time difference, It may be a little difficult working out the exact time to meet you online but with time however, we should get used to it. I'm online most of the time when I'm not out or in a meeting so we should be able to have a chat sooner than later, try to keep a date.

It is important for you to acknowledge the receipt of this e-mail to further signify your interests in working for me, if I do not receive any reply to this e-mail from you within 48hours after I sent it, I will take it that you are no longer interested in this position. I'm keen on finding someone that can keep up with my pace at all times, I have a confidence in you and I am looking forward to the best working relationship possible between us. I hope you will be up to, perhaps better than my presumptions about you.

Keep in touch and have a blessed day.

Thanks

Mr Parker.

Welcome kelseym4422! I'm always glad to hear that another scammer has been thwarted.

I applied for personal assistant job on craigslist New York and got a similar email reply two days later. I felt pretty excited about the whole thing as I am currently a student and in need of money. I have actually filled out his application and given him some basic information of mine before i found this site. I'm wondering if he can use my information to cause any damage to me in the future and if there are any precautions i should take?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here is the entire email:

from Anthony Vietch [email protected]
reply-to [email protected]
to >My email address here<
date Thu, Sep 15, 2011 at 9:52 AM
subject Re: Front Office Assistant
mailed-by gmail.com
signed-by gmail.com
Important mainly because of your interaction with messages in the conversation.

hide details 9:52 AM (3 hours ago)

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 Anthony Vietch, 47 yrs of age, I'm Self employed..I am an
importer by profession 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 $700 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 as I am presently in France for a summit. I will be back in
Three Weeks time. 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 the coming 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 next week is
to run some errands out to some of the orphanage home which I do every
month. The funds will be in form of Cashier check, it will be sent
over to you from one of my clients and i have some list to email you
once you received the funds. You will make some arrangements by buying
some stuff for the kids in the nearest store around you so you can
mail them out. I will get you more information on that.

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 received your application form, I will get back to you
with the task for next 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.

Anthony Vietch.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

I have actually filled out his application and given him some basic information of mine before i found this site. I'm wondering if he can use my information to cause any damage to me in the future and if there are any precautions i should take?

Thanks guys

Hello!
Sorry you were targeted by this scammer. Glad you found the site before getting more involved. Scammers are really after you money not to steal your identity. They ask you for all the personnel information because that is what a real employer would do. It helps legitimize their scam. That being said I would still regularly check your credit report just to be on the safe side.

Justin

Hello. This is the email I received this morning the grammar is not as bad as the previous posts but still feels fishy. All the info he is asking for was on my resume.
Am I correct in thinking its fishy?
Linnae






Hello,
I am in receipt of your email with your inetrest in the job opening.I am an independent Real Estate Consultant looking for a personal assistant to run my errands while im out of the states.Im currently in dubai for some property inspection/constructions.

I am looking for a motivated, self-starter with a friendly and professional attitude.
Job duties include:
*Various errands
*Property management
*Filing
*Faxing
*Photocopying
*Mail processing
*Light typing
*Answering phones; greeting clients
*Photocopying and other special projects

Compensation: $550 weekly.

Note: This position is home base office work you can be in any location and work with me from your home and does not require you travelling out of town.
For you to get started,i will like to know which of the following office equipments you have available at the moment. Its not a problem if you do not have any or all of the items.
Kindly specify Yes or No in front of each item.
All in 1 Printer:
Laminator:
Paper Cutter:

If Interested,fill the application below.
First Name:
Middle Name:
Last Name:
Address:
City, State, Zip Code:
Cell Phone Number:
Home Phone Number:
Email:

Hope to hear from you soon


Simon Erin

Hello!
Yes this is a very typical job scam script. Glad you got suspicious!

I received this exact same email today while applying for jobs on craigslist. The email is almost verbatim :

""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 Paul Crandall , 49 yrs of age, I'm Self employed..I am an importer by profession 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 and Running personal errands, supervisions and monitoring.

*Scheduling programmes, flights and keeping me up to date with them as well acting as an alternative telephone correspondence while I'm away.

*Making regular contacts and drop-offs on my behalf.Also, Handling and monitoring some of my financial activities..

*Basic wage is $700 a week .

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

*Good planning, communication and organization skills

*Must be honest, reliable & dependable

*Must be organized & extremely detail oriented

*Experience working with the internet, email.

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 as I am presently in Iceland for a summit. I will be back in Three Weeks time.

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 the coming 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 next week is to run some errands out to some of the orphanage home which I do every month. The funds will be in form of Cashier check or money order, it will be sent over to you from one of my clients and i have some list to email you once you received the funds. You will make some arrangements by buying some stuff for the kids in the nearest store around you so you can mail them out. I will get you more information on that.

PLEASE FILL THE APPLICATION FORM BELOW;

FULL NAME:
HOME ADDRESS{Not box}:
CITY:
STATE:
ZIP CODE:
CURRENT OCCUPATION:
CELL PHONE AND HOME PHONE:
AGE:
ALTERNATE EMAIL ADDRESS(IF ANY):

Once I have received your application form, I will get back to you with the task for next 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.

Please get back as soon as possible.

Paul"""




PAUL CRANDALL?? MICHAEL MOORE?? WHATEVER.....EITHER WAY IT'S A SCAM AND IT'S PRETTY ANNOYING WHEN YOU REALLLLLY NEED A JOB AND ARE BROKE AND PEOPLE WASTE YOUR TIME LIKE THIS!!! LOOK OUT JOB SEEKERS!!!!!

Hello, I am brand new to this site, but wanted to report an email I'd gotten, just to verify whether it is truly a Scam, so as not to move ahead with it.

I saw an ad on Craig'sList under the Transportation department, looking for a driver.
"Driver Wanted": the ad it still up...
http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/trp/2600912502.html

I then emailed him with my resume, and he got back to me, under the name of Justin Devon, email: [email protected]... which I've seen above in a previous scam entry... so I assume that pretty much guarantees that it's a Scam right?

It certainly sounds like an awesome deal, maybe too good to be true? He responded to my query with what sounded like a very realistic email. Then I followed up and now I get this message...

-----

Dear,

Thanks for your response and I am glad to read from you once again.On the first day, you are to pick us from the airport and drop us at the hotel.Our arrival date is now the 30th of September.I want you to know that We will be responsible for the car hire cost and the gas fee. All we will be needing you for is basically driving and that's all.

Also i would like to bring to your notice that We found a car we will be using. Its a Benz s550 ,so I will make arrangement with the head office of the car company and I will let you know before hand when it will be brought to your house. Also i am okay with your driving schedule .

Concerning the payment, I will make arrangement to send you the cashier's check. Once you receive the check, i want you to have the check cashed at the Bank, deduct the sum of $500 as payment for the first weekend*s service and have the remaining funds on the check sent via western union the car company so they can start the delivery of the vehicle (s550 Benz) to you address.

furthermore, I will be happy if you could get back to me with the following details of yours so that the cashiers check payment can be issued out to you right away and have it delivered to you this week.

To proceed ,email me the following:
************************************

Full name:
street Address:
city:
State:
postal code:
Cell and Home:
Acceptance of offer:

I will appreciate your quick response if you are satisfied with the offer and I will be willing to instruct my client to go ahead and issue out the cashiers check right away for the payment of the first week and the funds for the car hire company .I will appreciate quick response from you with your full details so as to mail out the check at once.

Regards
Justin Devon

---

SO, if this IS a Scam, what should I do now?? Thankfully, I haven't actually sent him all my information.... although technically, I did send him my Resume, which has my home address and cell phone on there.. Shoot. Anyways, how should I respond to him?? Any response would be much appreciated, thanks!

Your suspicions are right jgmythog7!

This is a classic example of a cheque scam. You are sent a fake cheque valued at more than the amount expected.
You are then asked to forward the difference to a courier or agent.

By the time the bank realises that the cheque is a fraud, you will have lost your money.
The bank will pursue you for the funds and their costs. You may also face prosecution for money laundering and possibly face the prospect of imprisonment!

Edit: Forgot to say that you should drop and ignore him.

As far as your resume goes, don't worry too much about it. You may see an increase in scams targeted at you, but a resume typically does not have the information required for identity theft.