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Job Seekers Beware: Counterfeit Check Scam Seeks 'Donations Collectors'

State Charities Bureau Urges Consumers to Beware of Job Offers

HARRISBURG, Pa., Oct. 5 /PRNewswire/ — Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth Pedro A. Cortes today warned consumers of scammers who are targeting job seekers in an elaborate, widespread operation spanning the country.

"The Department of State's Bureau of Charitable Organizations has recently received complaints about three organizations claiming to be charities," said Cortes. "None of these organizations are listed with the bureau, and all are located in the Netherlands, making jurisdiction an issue. Consumers need to be aware of these scams. People have lost thousands of dollars."

The three organizations are:

  1. Elaine International (http://www.elainehome.org)
  2. Clyde Gonzales International (http://www.cgonzaleshome.org)
  3. Amelia International (http://www.Ameliahome.org)

People with resumes posted on job sites such as http://www.CareerBuilder.com, http://www.Monster.com and http://www.HotJobs.com have received an email offering a job as a "donations collector" from an organization putting itself forth as an international charity. The email provides a link to a Web site with testimonials, pictures and success stories of those supposedly helped by the operation.

In the sophisticated scam, job applicants are promised a 5-percent to 7-percent "commission" on donation checks they receive on behalf of the organization. The email even includes tax and salary information. The would-be job candidate is lured to disburse money from his or her personal bank account while awaiting checks to the "charity" to clear.

Unfortunately, the donation checks received by the job candidate are bogus, a fact that will not be made known until the check does not clear. By then, the fictitious charity has taken, on average, $4,000 from the job applicant's bank account.

In addition to the three mentioned above, consumers should be aware of the following names used recently by these scammers:

  • http://www.Abantehome.org
  • http://www.Adeonahome.org
  • http://www.Adriahome.org
  • http://www.Alstedehome.org
  • Concordia
  • http://www.DWIO.org
  • DIO
  • PWHome
  • Public Wish

These are just a few of the fictitious charities; however, consumers, especially job seekers, should note that there are hundreds more counterfeit-check scams in operation, and the names change often.

If you believe you have been a victim of Internet fraud, contact the Internet Crimes section of the Federal Bureau of Investigation at http://www.fbi.gov.

The Bureau of Charitable Organizations recommends that consumers protect themselves by doing the following:

  • Be suspicious of any and all unsolicited email messages from unfamiliar sources. Never respond to such an email - simply delete it.
  • Careful inspection of a Web site linked to the email may not reveal a scam. The best course of action is to delete the email.
  • Interview and research any prospective employer the same way you would expect them to interview and run background checks on job candidates.
  • Google the organization name to see if any Web postings point to a scam.
  • Visit sites such as http://www.Ripoffreport.com to search for a possible scam.
  • check the Better Business Bureau Web site at http://www.BBB.org or, visit the Attorney General's office at http://www.attorneygeneral.gov.
  • Search the Pennsylvania Bureau of Charitable Organizations Web site via the Department of State at http://www.dos.state.pa.us/charities.
  • Search the Web site http://www.GuideStar.org for the purported charity. All IRS informational returns filed by charities are available there. If a search does not find the charity, beware.

The BBB's Wise Giving Alliance provides information on donation-processing scams at http://www.give.org.

The BBB's alert at http://www.give.org/news/projobscam.asp advises consumers:

  • Ignore any employment offer that requires you to accept checks in your personal account and then forward payments to an overseas organization. If you cannot verify the organization's identity as legitimate, walk away.
  • If the organization claims to be a U.S.-based charity, ask for a copy of its IRS Form 990.
  • Be suspicious of any job application process that requests your mother's maiden name or your date of birth. These are not legitimate requests and the information you provide could lead to identity theft.

For more information on the Bureau of Charitable Organizations, including tips on charitable giving and your rights as a consumer, visit the Department of State Web site, http://www.dos.state.pa.us/charities. To report a possible fraudulent charity, call 1-800-732-0999. CONTACT: Leslie Amoros

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of State