Has someone offered you a huge sum of money or a valuable consignment? It's a 419 or advance fee fraud - find out how they work, and what to do to be safe.
by pinoy ako Thu Nov 12, 2009 8:19 am
IS THEIR REALLY A SYNERGY GROUP THAT IS also assesing visa processing and any other entry clearance?
i would like to know if they are real and if they are reliable, i am aplying to work in Uk and my potential employer choose this group for my visa assestment she say its a travel consultant..





Work Permit Clearance Assessment Form Attached(2759/09)
...
From:
SYNERGY <[email protected]> [Chat now]
...



visa quest.doc (25KB)
Dear Applicant,


Kindly open the attachment, fill the visa assessment form and enclose it to us with your international passport and a passport photograph for proper documentation and to enable us commence with your visa process.

Below is a brief explanation of our entry clearance visa processing steps and fee. Please read carefully.

The entire visa process takes approximately a week i.e. seven working days after it submission to the visa issuing authority. Note that documents received from you will be accompanied with your propose employers papers to the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal (AIT) through the Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA) for your entry clearance visa to be issued.

Immediately your visa is issued and visa number confirmed a notification will be sent to us (solicitor) for endorsement and as soon as we endorsed/accept the visa issuing conditions the DCA will immediately deliver your visa approval papers to our representative in charge and we will forward it to your given address immediately through a courier delivery services and in accordance with the visa issuing conditions.

Meanwhile you will be expected to submit your visa approval papers along with only your international passport to the British embassy in your location following the date stipulated for its submission and the British embassy will call you within 48hours of your passport submission for a pick up of your entry clearance visa as soon as your visa is stamped on your international passport.

Our entry clearance visa services charge is £179 and this fee already includes, work entry clearance visa fee, courier service delivery fee, and our administrative charges.

We have part/full time associates in most part of the world and all visa confirmation papers are normally deliver to applicant with the support of our affiliates / associates representative if exist in there region. We also advise applicant who are located in regions where we presently have affiliates to remit fees directly through our associates bank account in their region to ease fee confirmation and quick refund if need be.
Applicant should therefore write us and request for payment arrangement available in their location for them to pay visa processing fee and in case we do not have any affiliate available in applicant location we will suggest other payment arrangement available to such applicant as soon as we receive the applicant payment request.

Please it's important to note that we can only proceed with your visa process only when needed papers are submitted and processing fee duly received.


Thank you for using our services.

For: STL,

Mr Conway
Advertisement

by The Enchantress Thu Nov 12, 2009 9:43 am
Welcome to Scamwarners pinoy ako. It is a definite scam.

This site shows the contact information for the legitimate SYNERGY GROUP

http://www.synergygroup.co.uk/contact

All employees will use a @synergygroup.co.uk. mail address.

This is a "fake" job and scammer "pretending" using a free @yahoo.com address.

Please cease contact with this scammer and do not send them anything.

Also travel agencies/consultants DO NOT issue or assess visas.

This site explains visa applications http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/en/

If you have any questions or concerns please post - a support team member will help you.

Also please post any further information - it will alert and save others from being scammed.
Last edited by The Enchantress on Thu Nov 12, 2009 1:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Photos - are scammers using yours? click here
Are you falling for a love scammer? click here
Never send money by Western Union/Moneygram.
Never give personal information.
Online anyone can claim to be anyone, any age and from anywhere.
by Arnold Thu Nov 12, 2009 9:55 am
Hi
As The Enchantress said, it's a scam. It's a common scam to impersonate real businesses, as they have done with Synergy.The fake job advertisement is almost certainly misusing the name of a genuine employer too.
Can you quote the email quoting the job please, less any personal information, In order than other potential victims can be led here.
Last edited by Arnold on Fri Dec 11, 2009 4:04 am, edited 1 time in total.

by pinoy ako Mon Nov 16, 2009 2:53 pm
this is the all other mails from the synergy and the person who wants me to work with them




Dear,


We like to confirm to you that a completed visa assessment form, a scan International Passport bio data page, and a passport photograph of you was received in our office today the 12th November 2009, but we are yet to receive your application processing fee in our office.

Your application process shall commence as soon as we have your application fee remitted to our office and below are details of all our internationally acceptable payment methods.

All international clients are to complete visa application fee to our office through either an Egold account, Paypal account visa Credit/Debit Card or Western Union Money Transfer.

Payment through Egold should be done using our secure E-gold account payment transfer with our account number 4827874.

Payment can also be made to our office using Western Union Money Transfer and all Western Union Money Transfer payment are to be made to our office using the below information.

Deborah Ryan
23 South Audley Street,
Mayfair,
London
W1Y 4DH

A Visa Credit/Debit card is also acceptable for payment to our office and to enable us charge your debit/credit card you are to forward to us the following information of your credit card.

Name as written on Visa Card:
Card holder address as on card:
Date of Birth:
Country:
Email:
Phone number:
Card number:
Security Code (cvv):
Expiration date:

Clients making payment with credit card should note that in a case of refund, their refund will only be made to the exact credit card use for the payment even if a different name is indicated for refund.

If making payment through the Paypal kindly contact us for our Paypal account information.

Please note that all western union payment voucher/receipts confirmation are to be scanned as e mail attachment or fax (+448452800216) to us as proof of payment and also for your payment to be authenticated.

The British embassy is located in Hague, Netherlands and we will inform you when it is necessary to submit your international passport to the British embassy.

Thank you for using our services

Synergy Group

AND ALSO THIS:
Hi,

Regarding my general enquiries, i was informed by the consultant representative that the entire work permit process will be done through the Department for Constitutional affairs here in the U.K. and that it will take few days ( approximately 3 to 7 working days) to process it since the application will be back up with personal status documents from me.
Meanwhile i have been told that you will need to start the application by submitting your personal information and documents. So you are therefore require to mail the consultant office and request for work visa assessment form and list of other papers necessary in order for your visa to be processed. Meanwhile i have been issued the following reference number (2759/09) for you to quote in your mail when mailing their office for quick identification of your enquiries. Mail Synergy Group office at [email protected] or fax at 08452800216
You can as well call Mr. Conway on 07791010150. He was the person i discussed with one on one of the visa application procedures and i understood he's one of the directors of Synergy Group as well.
Kindly inform me as soon as you make contact with synergy's office so that i can be up to date of the process further and in case you didn't hear from synergy's office after 24 hours of your mail to them you should inform me so that i can send them a reminder mail again.
This is synergy's office complete address below.

Synergy Group
23 South Audley Street,
Mayfair,
London
W1Y 4DH

Best regards.
Last edited by pinoy ako on Mon Nov 16, 2009 3:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.
by pinoy ako Mon Nov 16, 2009 3:05 pm
1. Hello,

I live in Wood Green, London and i will like to request for an Au pair or Nanny service for my daughter.
Presently I'm running a part time technical course in Dublin and base on that I need someone very reliable to care for her.
Au pair or Nanny primary responsibility will be to guide her daily activities which includes dropping and picking her up at school and games. Au pair or Nanny will also assist in dry cleaning and ironing whenever necessary.
Since Au pair or Nanny will be her primary guide during the day i will therefore prefer an Au pair or Nanny who can carry out duties without supervision.
Kindly reply if available and please state your present location and your prefer start date if known.
Regards

2. Hi,

I so much appreciate your intention to join my family. Jenny is 7 years of age. She is of good behaviour and welcoming to people generally. She is also fond of watching cartoon and reading children comic.
Your primary responsibility will include picking her up in the morning to school or other daily activities and dropping her back after school hours or other event.
You will be guided by Mrs Brown in most of your daily routine. She is my employee and also a family friend. she has been working with my family for almost 5 years and so she is already part of the family. She will be responsible to care for Jenny after your working hours daily.
As for work schedule and payment, you will be working for 6hours daily excluding weekends and i can afford £9 per hour and in case you will like to attend a language school you should let me know in your reply so as to get you enroll as soon as we reach an agreement and before your arrival to the U.K.
I will further appreciate if you could say little of your personality and also of your child care ability in your reply.
Please can you be precise of your arrival date to England i.e. January that you proposed because this will definitely determine my arrangement towards your arrival. Also note that i don't have any plan on ground for Jenny up keep at the moment than this arrangement i am presently making with you and for that reason i will really appreciate your full response in order to be sure of your attention and to avoid delay of
any kind.
So do write me back of your arrangement details and also of any special need that you will need. I will also like to know if the offered salary suit your expectation as well.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Regards
by pinoy ako Mon Nov 16, 2009 3:08 pm
2.Hello,
I was able to communicate the U.K. immigration services further for more information on the visa process and according to the explanation i gathered, i was told that the youth mobility scheme visas are under the 5 tier visa arrangement and issued for a maximum of 2 years just like the regular work permit grant.
I was also informed that it's of no age restriction unlike the au pair visa and that if such visa is granted to you, you will be entitled to all socio benefits just like any other UK citizen and with that it will also be easier for you to apply for an Indefinite Settlement (permanent residency) in the UK in case you wish to pursue your career further here in the U.K.
Meanwhile i understand to apply under this visa category you will need to go through a criminal record verification (CRV) or submit a police report of you and a solicitor will also be needed to mediate on the visa process on your behalf in the UK. I've immediately made contact with a travel consultant (solicitor) as directed on the process but i'm yet to have a response.
Anyway i will update you further as soon as i have reply and in case you have any information to share with me let me know.
Regards.


4.I have just called Mr Conway regarding what to fill on date of arrival in the UK and date of departure from UK and he said you should not fill anything on that question i.e. you should leave it blank and continue with other questions on the form.
I hope you got me right and in case you need any more questions do let me know.

5.Hi ,

You can call me from 6pm after office or from 12pm to 1pm in my break i.e. any time now. This is my number 07024041935.
I think i should brief you more about me. My full name is Susan Lottering. I am an engineer and i'm presently working with Shell UK limited a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell. I'm a single parent actually divorced and i'm a vegetarian. Maybe you can ask me more on anything you will like to know and i will be glad to answer you. Meanwhile i'm attaching to you a passport , pictures of me my daughter and my parents during our last family vacation in Nevada.
About Mrs Brown she has been working with me as a cook right from Jenny's birth and she is already part of the family in a way. She lives 3 streets away from me and she also has 3 grand kids that she is caring for presently.
She do come and make dinner during the week and her weekend is full time if i'm around or not and that is why you will be not have to work in weekends.
As for synergy group office i understood your concern over their contact . I actually got their contact through my partner in the office who got a nanny from china a visa through them and i have also make personal contact and visit to there office before directing you. I understood the company is a group of company with so many subsidiary including job recruiting, school, tax and pension services and also visa and resort services.
You can check their group website http://www.synergygroup.co.uk I'm definitely confident of their services and that is why i have so far recommend their contact to you.
I hope i have been able to answer some of your questions and in case you still require further information from me do let me know.
Waiting for your immediate reply.
Susan

6. Hi,

Thanks for your mail. My weekend was fine. I went volunteering all over the weekend and it's was so fun because we had a large turn out of people than expected. Anyway i hope your weekend was also okay too?. Yes they did requested for papers from me and i already sent my personal status papers and other documents needed to synergy's office earlier for verification and it's already confirmed that i'm eligible and that with my papers you will definitely be approved an entry clearance to the UK.
I got your phone number from your previous mail and i hope to call you by next weekend or what is the best time to call you?.
Have a good new week.
Susan
Last edited by pinoy ako on Mon Nov 16, 2009 3:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
by Jillian Mon Nov 16, 2009 3:19 pm
Welcome pinoy ako. I'm glad the support team has been able to help answer your questions. Please do ask any further that you may have. You may also want to look in the forum on Employment scams and read the topics there for further information.

I have moved this topic from the welcome forum to this forum in which members may ask for advice about suspicious emails.

Have you sent a payment to a scammer with Western Union and now realize it's a scam? If the payment has not been picked up, you can cancel it immediately! 1-800-448-1492

Follow ScamWarners on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ScamWarners
by The Enchantress Mon Nov 16, 2009 4:01 pm
Thank You very much for posting this extra information on this scammer, pinoy ako.

This will alert and save others from being scammed. Well Done :=)

As Jillian has advised, please post any questions or concerns you have - we will be glad to help you.

Scamwarners au-pair guide here http://www.scamwarners.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=3019

Photos - are scammers using yours? click here
Are you falling for a love scammer? click here
Never send money by Western Union/Moneygram.
Never give personal information.
Online anyone can claim to be anyone, any age and from anywhere.
by pinoy ako Tue Nov 17, 2009 8:58 am
A NEW MESSAGE FROM THE SCAMMERS!





Hi,

Thanks for your mail. My weekend was fine. I went volunteering all over the weekend and it's was so fun because we had a large turn out of people than expected. Anyway i hope your weekend was also okay too?. Yes they did requested for papers from me and i already sent my personal status papers and other documents needed to synergy's office earlier for verification and it's already confirmed that i'm eligible and that with my papers you will definitely be approved an entry clearance to the UK.
I got your phone number from your previous mail and i hope to call you by next weekend or what is the best time to call you?.
Have a good new week.
Susan
by Ralph Tue Nov 17, 2009 9:07 am
Thank you Pinoy for adding this extra information, it will help to educate others on the cruel name of these injuries
by pinoy ako Wed Dec 02, 2009 12:05 pm
Dearest,

Many more thank for the interest you've show to me and my kids, I was very happy when I read your email.

Let me use this medium to introduce myself and my family as I do not have the time to do that in my previous email.

I'm a British by Citizien and I got seperated with my wife since August 2009, Its been very hard for my mum looking after kids and take care of the House chores that was why I deciede to employ a helper who would help out with some Domestic works and look after the kids.

We live in a four bedroom house apartment in West Wiltshire, UK, and have one daughter by name Janet, she is a years and three months old and a son Brad who is three years old and goes to the nausery school.


My kids are very lovely and friendly, very caring and easy to get along with, they are usually happy because I make sure i provide to them anything they need at any time because they are also my happiness.

So I am looking for an au pair to help me out with some house chores and also be a big sister to the kids.

My kids means so much to me, I can afford to pay you GBP 1,550(One thousand five hundred and fifty pounds sterling) monthly so that you can put in your best while caring for the kids.

I would like to know when you will be available because my Dad will be retiring from his work and my mum who is taking care of the kids will move back to our family house to look after dad.

I would appreciate the fact that you start work as soon as your entry documents are ready, regarding the time factors with the Immigration, It will be favorable if you can start work by the second week of January 2010.

Your room is fully furnish in the family building with a Laptop and an Internet Access which will enable you get on with your people via email.

This job will be on a contract base, the visa type which will be issued to you is normally for 2 years, with the legal procedures at the UK Border Agency, I shall be standing as your host and sponsor. We must reach on a mutual agreement that your name must be Sworn an Affidavit of Guarantee at the British Crown Court before the commencement on your visa endorsement/approval at the UK Home Office.

The Sworn Affidavit of Guarantee is a legal proceedings, It sets out the facts as you will abide to this job never to negelect your job responsibilities as you arrive to the united Kingdom.

Your declaration/statement of fact to abide in this contract and work with my family will be made as your name is being sworn also you will incur the court processing charges. This declearation must be made because you are going to be incharge of my kids,house,cars and every other things will be under your possesion.


Please write back so that we will prepare the Contract of Agreement, The Contract letter will be binding this job and also I will give you directives on the procurement of the Affidavit of guarantee by referring you to our family attorney. When they are sorted out.

Best regards,

Fedrick Huston.
+447024035832.
by David Jansen Wed Dec 02, 2009 1:29 pm
Yes, this is a scam. First sign of this being a scam is of course the fact that they address the receipient with Dearest, and not using the name of the receipient which the scammer doesn't know. Then the scammer introduces his family, but doesn't mentions any names let alone the number of kids he has. He stays vague about his situation. But the most important sign of this being a scam is the fact that the scammer claims he can provide the receipient with a visa, which is absolutely impossible. The visa and the affidavit of guarantee are used by the scammer to try to let the target pay for some fees. And THAT's the purpose of this scam letter. Best advice is to just delete such emails.

Thanks for posting this here, it will help in our fight against these scammers. :=)

Being a victim doesn't mean you stand alone. We're here to help you.
by Arnold Wed Dec 02, 2009 4:03 pm
affidavit of guarantee

As far as I know, there is no such thing. It features widely in scams though.
And 04470 numbers are free, and redirect incoming calls to another number anywhere in the world. So scammers who want to claim to be in the UK use them.

by pstansbu Thu Dec 10, 2009 6:52 pm
Just to add weight to this, our current au pair was seeking a new family and the self-same Susan Lottering of Wood Green cropped up again (doing a part time technical course in Dublin no less) - once more using the Synergy group to do her dirty work. She claimed to be covering all costs and then stepped back and tried to pressure the au pair into making the payment up front. They were using an address of [email protected]. Luckily in this case no money changed hands.

Does anybody have further info - is this linked to any sort of identity theft, or just a scam to take a couple of hundred pounds?

Thanks in advance - and well done for setting up the site!!
by Dotti Thu Dec 10, 2009 8:25 pm
I'm glad your au pair escaped being scammed!

In general, with the Africa-based scams, the scammers may re-use names and identification in further scams (i.e. if they manage to get hold of a copy of a passport from Ellen Thompson, in a future scam they will claim to be Ellen Thompson and will use the passport, intact or modified, to support the scam) but they don't have the resources to do the damage that is frequently associated with identity theft. Also, since "maga" (victim) info is often shared among scammers, the victim can look forward to an even higher rate of attempted scams in the future, by email, mail, and even phone.

With that said, if any bank account, credit card, or other financial information changed hands, accounts do need to be quickly closed (these scammers will gladly empty your bank accounts or charge your cards to the maximum), and if sensitive information was provided, it should still be reported in the proper quarters as a preventive.

Need to post photos? http://scamwarners.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=3219
Are you a victim of a romance scam? Read here for advice and FAQ's.

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: ClaudeBot, Google [Bot] and 25 guests