Job Scam...figures...

Well, I've been stressing over finding a job, as you all may know, and found one that was a "work from home" data entry job. Pfft. Yeah, that set off all kinds of red flags, but doesn't mean that there isn't a chance that it's real..so I jumped through their hoops.

Well, I went through an online interview..sorta..got a bunch of questions in an email and had to respond to them and send them back, had a couple "test" questions I had to go through which appeared to be testing my math ability and ability to follow directions..which I guess I "passed". *insert eye roll* I was told I would receive a training packet and offer letter via USPS and in it I would be told what materials I needed to be able to to do my job.

After my "test" questions, I was told I would receive a check to purchase the materials I would need to do my job. BIG RED FLAG!! Still, I was hopeful that it would be for real..though the doubt was overwhelming now. I figured can't hurt to see where this goes. This was two days ago. Yesterday, I received a "Cashier's Check" for $3,850. Yeah..like I'm gonna run for that. Let's start with a few discrepancies....

1) The phone number on the check and the bank address did not match up by state even
2) The sender(as I received this via FedEx) was in Illinois, which wasn't either the state the bank address was in or the phone number was from
3) The amount of the check was quite a bit..seemed a bit odd to begin with
4) The watermark on the back of the check that reads "Original Document" appeared to have been placed there with a stamper. I could see the edges of where the stamper had been pressed into the ink pad.

I called the bank and the woman was less than helpful, but said I should take the check to a bank and have them process it. I'm not about to let myself get burned for that much money when I can't even afford to pay the rest of this month's(April) rent, let alone next month's. So I looked up online how to NOT get caught up if it is a fake check..the site I read said to take it to the bank, have them put a 21 day hold on it(I'm assuming that's how long it takes for the bank to receive the check back if it's a fake) and go from there.

So I got online with this clown, as the only communication I've had is through yahoo IMs and emails(another red flag), and told him that there would be a 21 day hold on the check. He asked by who and I told him the bank. He came back with going to a check cashing place...means I'm still liable. Ok, time to take another route...

I called the FTC(Federal Trade Commission) and asked the woman there what I should do..she said by the sound of it, I would receive this list of supplies to buy and be expected to send the remaining balance back via wire transfer..she took a report and we were, more or less, done. I have not contacted this individual since, however, am more than willing to share the information I received with all of you so that you will not get caught up in such a scam. My mother always said, "if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is." That was certainly the case here.

The job listing was for Data Entry. The contact person used the name "Dr Robert Miller" from a Yahoo IM/Email of interviewdesk2010@yahoo.com and the email I got a response from when sending in my resume and cover letter to was cjobs@digitalrivers-inc.com. Supposedly, the company I was going to work for was County Systems, Inc. ( http://countysyst.com/ ). I have not contacted this company yet and, upon further review of their rather mediocre site, realize that while it says that they are based in Washington, DC..it isn't a DC phone number..I'll probably not be calling them as I am sure that this site was set up as part of the scam. Maybe I should go to the address on the site and check it out in person. lol

With all the red flags that are being waved around with this one, it looks like a hurricane warning!