Scam targeting the unemployed

MagicSean

Just thought I'd let people know about a scam that came to my attention which is targeting unemployed people. It's a variation on a car buying scam but has been altered to target people who might be in a more desperate position and more likely to go along with it.

The basic crux of the scam is to advertise a part time well paid temporary job. Most likely the job will be as a cleaner or similar. The "employer" will only deal with the person through email. They will make all arrangements for time and pay rate by email. Their story will be along the lines that they are coming to live in Ireland and want someone to prepare the house for their arrival. They will then offer to pay the emplyee in advance by sending them a cheque. However the cheque will be larger than their pay and the employee will be asked to lodge it and withdraw the extra cash to pass on to the employers friend/partner/spouse. The cheque will then bounce and the victim will be minus their cash.

Obviously there are people out there desperate at the moment and might be tempted with this reasonably well paid job. And lot of people believe that once you lodge a cheque and your balance goes up you are all clear but that is not the case. It will often take weeks for a cheque to clear. There may be variations of the details of the scam but if something involves lodging and withdrawing money to give back to someone then it's probably dodgy.

Anyway just thought I'd post this here to try and save some people a little hassle.

kneemos

Damn thoughtfull of you old boy.

WumBuster

You can't withdraw funds on a lodged cheque until it's cleared.

razorblunt

Scratch cards?

MagicSean

WumBuster wrote: »

You can't withdraw funds on a lodged cheque until it's cleared.

Right, so you are actually taking out your own money without realising. That's the scam.

Tombi!

Nice one, thanks.

Defiler Of The Coffin

And I would have got away with it too, if it wasn't for that damn MagicSean

WumBuster

MagicSean wrote: »

Right, so you are actually taking out your own money without realising. That's the scam.

Ah. That could happen alrite

Henlars67

So there's no scam at all

MagicSean

Henlars67 wrote: »

So there's no scam at all

Other than the fake job and fake cheque and loss of money? No

dvpower

Iirc, there was a girl on Liveline a few weeks ago who was almost a victim of this scam.
She was offered a job as a live in child minder for a couple who were living abroad but due to move to Ireland. The money was great, but there was a payment cheque involved with some dodgy arrangement where she was supposed to send a cheque for some balance by return.

I can't remember what made her twig it as a scam - was it the unconventional payment arrangement, or the fact that they hired her to mind their kids sight unseen.