cyber crime
earning money online
launder money
making money
making money online
money laundering
online job
Beware - Latest Online Money Making Scam
By skysuccess
@skysuccess (8858)
Singapore
November 15, 2009 11:50pm CST
For those of you out there who are looking for an online job, please beware of this latest scam.
The Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca) has revealed lately that there are fraudulent websites currently recruiting "money mules". These fraudsters are using a variety of bogus and legitimate recruitment channels to con job-hunters to aid them into becoming mules to assist them to launder money.
It is found that the job would be asking recruited members to receive relatively small amounts of money into their own account and then move them onwards to another bank. However, these monies are linked to the criminal networks behind the original theft and unbeknown could be linked to linked to some heinous terrorist networks.
It is also found that some of these "mules" know exactly what they are doing. However, many end up unwittingly laundering profits for overseas criminals as a result of being taken in by fake recruitment sites.
However, I am wondering if they are wary of the consequences where they may be liable for all the criminal funds they've received - which must be repaid, their bank accounts would be frozen and be subjected to criminal investigations.
So, do beware of this scam that is going on and wise up against these scammers. Better be careful than sorry here.
P.S.
Helpful Tips
* Do a search for the company address
* Do a Post Office address look-up for the company address
* Never give your bank details to anyone unless you know and trust them.
Ref: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8361657.stm
2 people like this
9 responses
@JennyMarie (366)
• United States
17 Nov 09
I would be very weary of some business online that would want me to acept money and then transfer part of it. That is a classic scam. Before I give any of my time to any work online site I do alot of research, A great place I have found to research any new site I am thinking about working is here on MyLots. If it is a scam and out there I am sure there is someone on here who has heard of it.
So before you waste your time on any online business make sure you do your homework
2 people like this
@skysuccess (8858)
• Singapore
17 Nov 09
JennyMarie,
You really have a very good ethic here. 
If I could actually highlight your comment here for all members who visit this discussion, believe me I would. Your ethic here really could save a lot of hassles, inconveniences and a run up with the law.
So, well done and keep it up as you walk the talk, here.
Have a nice day.
If I could actually highlight your comment here for all members who visit this discussion, believe me I would. Your ethic here really could save a lot of hassles, inconveniences and a run up with the law.
So, well done and keep it up as you walk the talk, here.
Have a nice day.
@skysuccess (8858)
• Singapore
17 Nov 09
rjvb26,
I think you will know that it is just so easy to create a website, so I do not think giving out some current sites will be of help as these scammers will know all too well of being detected and caught if they stay on the site extensively.
I suggest that you learn the modus operandi here and be able to discern when you actually come face to face with these scams that is spread via online chats, criagslist, hiring sites and emails.
So, just be very careful what you sign up and were to be asked to perform questionable money or parcel transactions.
Take care and have a nice day.
@nishdan01 (3051)
• Singapore
16 Nov 09
I started looking for online gigs more than 3 years ago. I never paid for anything initially since I did not have money. But later learned that I must never pay money for Online jobs. I know there are scams but I try to stick to legitimate ones.
2 people like this
@skysuccess (8858)
• Singapore
16 Nov 09
nishdan01,
Just be careful with what you are signing up and with your personal particulars including your bank accounts or personal online payment processing details and any assigned jobs especially when it involves money transfers.
Reject and if they persist, report them to your local authority's cyber crime department. It is just not worth the trouble even if the commission is generous here.
Take care and have a nice day.
1 person likes this
@Hippie_Ashley (81)
• United States
16 Nov 09
Thank you for the information!
I agree if it's too good to be true be very wary about it, also if it was really legit they would call you and meet with you instead of emailing you...
You also have to be on the look out for job postings that are fake, and they want your information so they can look up your credit history, and if you give them enough information they could even sign up for credit cards, and buy houses using your information. It's really sad that these people are doing these awful things these days just to make money, and tend to prey on people that simply just do not know any better.
@skysuccess (8858)
• Singapore
17 Nov 09
Hippie_Ashley,
"Too good to be true" and you really hit it right on the nail here.
In this scam, it is just not easily noticeable especially when they could masked their laundering to look legitimate. I mean just imagine yourself being hired as the overseas procurement or trading manager of xxx company and that the monies are for procurement or sale transactions which you do not actually see the product, other than money.
So, if you are not sharp enough to double check your remittance destination and authenticity then you will only fall into the trap unknowingly. Also, that the company that hire you is nothing more than a well designed website from some site developer in the Bermuda.
As for the latter issue, I do not think that they will apply loans when they can get cash money directly with your bank with all the genuine documents.
Just be careful and do not mistake this scam to be similar to the Nigerian Scam. Take care and have a nice day.
Just be careful and do not mistake this scam to be similar to the Nigerian Scam. Take care and have a nice day.
@victoriousm (86)
• United Arab Emirates
16 Nov 09
Thanks for this very helpful advice. I think this 'money-transfer-scam' has been going on for years. Remember those scam emails asking for your bank details that so and so millions of money will be transferred to your account? According to a research, this kind of fraud was started by some students in Africa. Would you believe, I was even contacted by a man in prison claiming he was a relative of an assassinated diplomat who had left billions of money and they needed help to take the money out of their country. They will promise that you will be given a percentage of this money if your mission becomes successful. Once you believe this kind of story, they will then ask for your bank details. This kind of story is obviously fraud. Don't believe any of them.
@beckysue12121 (37)
• United States
16 Nov 09
Hey! Thanks for the heads up. It's people like that who make it hard for the rest of us to try to eak out a living online.
2 people like this
@skysuccess (8858)
• Singapore
17 Nov 09
beckysue12121,
You are most welcome and do let your friends and love ones wary of this scam as it is going to rampant in your country.
Take care and have a nice day.
@ethanonthemoon (1494)
• Quezon, Philippines
17 Nov 09
First and foremost in online rules is not to give personal information such as bank account, not even credit card numbers if the site is not really that known. It is as if giving your real credit card for somebody's use.
1 person likes this
@skysuccess (8858)
• Singapore
17 Nov 09
ethanonthemoon,
Just adding to let you know that this current scam does not really want your detailed details of your bank account. They are not really interested other than being their "mule" to launder their ill-gotten monies.
So, do be very careful when you are asked to procure, make payment or receive monies / parcels in your course of (online) work. Because if you don't, you might end up being arrested as their accomplice.
Take care and have a nice day.
@doryvien (2284)
• United States
16 Nov 09
Hi Sky,
My husband wasn't job hunting but he received an email from someone offering him an on-line part time job. The "recruiter" sent him a job description which basically stated that his main responsibility will be to receive money (like a finance officer). The money will be sent to his address in the form of check, encash it, and then deposit the same to another account to be supplied by the recruiter. He will be paid an unbelievable 25% of the amount to be transferred. So imagine if the amount is $1000, he gets $250, just for transferring the money - and large amount of money was supposed to be involved in each transaction, so the bigger the money, the bigger the fee. It was very tempting, but we both doubted if it's legit. So we checked the internet and presto, we found out it is one of the new modus-operandis used by scammers. My husband was polite enough to send the recruiter an email declining the job being offered. Indeed, if it's too good to be true, it probably is.
@skysuccess (8858)
• Singapore
16 Nov 09
doryvien,
Well, as you can see these scammers are very resourceful and ingenious so just be very careful.
Have a nice day.
1 person likes this
@artistry (4151)
• United States
17 Nov 09
..Hi skysuccess, I don't think you can ever be too cautious when it comes to people asking you to do something like transferring money especially from out of the states, you could find yourself in a world of trouble. Very nice of you to give a warning that this is going on. Thank you very much for your research and the information, which is important.
1 person likes this
@skysuccess (8858)
• Singapore
17 Nov 09
artistry,
True enough, but some times there are a certain group of people who will just go through their lives (including their working lives) "blindly".
And it will be so inconvenient or rather a rude awakening when the law wrongly catches up with them. And believe me, the hassles is sometime we would really want to be a distance from.
I hope that your wary will help you and your close circles. So, do the needful, take care and have a nice day.
