Monday, July 30, 2007

Online Job Offers; Legitimate or Not?

As some of you know, I've done work online as a syntax editor and most recently as a paid blogger. It came as no surprise then when I received an email inviting me to apply for a position as Site Moderator with a starting salary of $42,500 per year. For a moment I thought I had found my dream job or that at long last the job had found me! Sound too good to be true?

To check its validity I did a search on Google by typing in "toospoiled.com" scam. Here is what I found:

TooSpoiled, the next Impactww. New scams: eBandsearch , Scout / Scout2007

Instant Human Resources Scam

All Beware Of Instant Human Resources!!

Here is the email:

"Dear Susan ,

Your resume was recently viewed online and I feel that you are qualified to apply for a Site Moderator opening we have within the company. Too_Spoiled is one of the most exciting website launches of the last few years.

Site Moderators monitor the content of the site, flagging and/or removing any inappropriate postings. A Site Moderator would also look to stop any members from targeting minors on the site. Knowledge of HTML programming languages such as ColdFusion is preferred. This position is one that can be done from your home if you have a computer with online connection.

We have developed a compensation package that provides our Site Moderators a generous annual salary that begins at $42,500. Site Moderators with experience in this field can earn up to $52,000 per year. The opportunity for rapid advancement, tuition assistance and full medical and dental coverage is also included with this position.

If you’d like to further discuss this opportunity at Too_Spoiled, please click on the link below and fill out the online application. If the link doesn’t work, you can copy the address and paste it into your browser to go to the webpage.

http://entertainyourfuturegetspoiled.com/Careers.aspx?jp=7782861

You will be contacted in 1-2 days after we receive your online application by our Human Resources Department to schedule an interview.

Best Regards,

Brian Egelton
Too_Spoiled

Take_my_name out of future_employment_considerations."


If you receive an email from hr@toospoiled.com, it is not a legitimate offer for employment. I also received an email from employment@goodgradesnow.com in a similar letter format. It too is covered in the search results above.

It's important to look for these things when checking the validity of an online offer or email:

1. Check the header and footer of the email for its origin:

Received: from mail.datagroupmailhost.com (datagroupmailhost.com [66.132.203.75]) by rly-db06.mx.aol.com (v118.4) with ESMTP id MAILRELAYINDB063-acd46adf88ca7.

This one appears to have come from a DATA MINING source.

2. Check the link address for secured information transfer. Both of these emails wanted you to fill out an application with your full name, address, phone numbers and attach a resume. A secured site or portal for private information is marked like this: https:// the "s" indicates that it is a secured site. In the link from the email there is no "s" in the http:// address.

http://entertainyourfuturegetspoiled.com/Careers.aspx?jp=7782861

Never send your personal information online unless you are confident that it is protected by a secured site and remember to read its privacy policy.

3. Do a search using the company name and the word scam on Google (or the search engine of your choosing) to see what information has been reported about the company. You can also search the Better Business Bureau for any reports.

4. Does the email reference where they viewed your resume? If you have posted your resume online at any of these sites; Careerbuilders.com, Monster.com, hotjobs.yahoo.com or any other legitimate job search tool, and you receive an offer it will be identified as such.

5. Last but not least, if you are still unsure about the emails origin and content ... delete it and/or report it as spam!

There's nothing like a scam to shake things up a bit in a job search. Just thought I'd share my findings. Happy job hunting!

VIEW FOLLOW UP POST HERE

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

OMG! I could just hug you. I just moved and have been looking for a job using careerbuilder.com. I got an offer from toospoiled.com offering $15-$20 per hour a few days ago but decided to wait. A few minutes ago, I looked at it again but red flags popped up (instinct) so decided to google Brian Egelton. Thank God I did coz I would have given out my info to some stranger in CA. Thanks a bunch for taking the time to write about this. Good luck to you. PS: You should know that the BBB didn't have any info on this company so warn everyone not to rely on the BBB for this one.

goldengoddess said...

Thank you! Since my original post I have received all sort of emails that have contained similar offers, including another from toospoiled.com. They have had a different return email addresses but the format is always the same. I simply report them as spam. Best wishes in finding a job in your area; I'll be going on a second interview tomorrow at 2 p.m. and should be employed soon.

Thanks again for sharing your experience!

Anonymous said...

I too was almost scammed by goodgradesnow.com and toospoiled.com. I think it's a shame that these people can go online and "fool" people. There should be some restrictions on who can post what, as far as employers are concerned.

Anonymous said...

Brian Egelton
Scout 2007

This is another company they go by, defently a scam.

goldengoddess said...

Here's another odd one gang:

"Modern Computech Senior Software Engineer" offer from Jill Martin with a return reply email address of careers@powerjobapp.com.

My resume clearly does NOT have the qualifications for this type of job. An obvious scam or phishing email offer.

Thanks for sharing your experiences regarding Brian Eagleton, toospoiled.com and goodgradesnow.com ... there really should be a way to block these and even though I've been marking all of mine as spam they still keep coming.

Thanks again! :)

Anonymous said...

Looks like Brian Egelton is at it again. I just ecieved another e-mail from this too good to be true so-called employer. I have posted a copy so you can all watch out.

The resume you recently posted online has been brought to my attention. I have reviewed your qualifications and experience and have concluded that you may have the skills needed to fill an Account-Executive position we are seeking to fill.

eZ Auctions is an exciting new concept to the continually growing online auction industry. With more than 192 million users registered on eBay alone the industry still must find new and innovative methods for reaching potential customers. The onset of the new millennium found corporate giants like eBay opening drop off locations in an attempt to give consumers more opportunity to take advantage of the booming online auction industry. eZ Auctions takes this concept one step further by partnering with existing businesses to create a drop-off location on nearly every corner, giving consumers many more convenient options and allowing businesses to increase their income potential.

eZ Auction’s Account-Executives work from a local office contacting local business to establish new accounts and develop new drop-off locations. Successful candidates for this position will be highly motivated self-starters who are serious about establishing a career in the online auction industry.

eZ Auctions offers a competitive benefits and compensation package which includes an incentive plan that can potentially add 40% or more to base salary. Benefits of this position include:


$52- $65K base annual salary
Medical and Dental Health Benefits
Corporate Expense Account
Vacation Packages
Promotion Opportunities
If you are interested in receiving more information or applying for the Account-Executive position please click on the link below. You may copy and paste the address into your browser if the provided link is not functioning.

http://employment.1-800-ez-auction.com/careers.aspx?jpID=597686

I’ll contact you within one or two business days of receiving your online application. I look forward to discussing this position with you in more detail.

Best Regards,

Brian Egelton
eZ Auctions

goldengoddess said...

Thanks for sharing! I am still getting emails of this sort and the email addresses are getting sillier and sillier. I recently got ones from "google_business @ gothonors.com" and something @aquamarine.aquamarine.com, it's obvious this is not legit! LOL! The first one even boasted about complying with the CAN SPAM ACT of 2003 ... hmmmmm :/

Anonymous said...

FYI, here are 2 more:

Scout 2007, and virase.com

goldengoddess said...

Thanks Louis J! I had received one from careers @ scout2007.net just this week also. It makes you wonder how these people get paid; or do they simply enjoy creating waste?

Anonymous said...

Add "USData" and and careersatdatagroup.com

Anonymous said...

That's funny, because for me Brian Egleton works for AdminSolutionsGroup.net, who want to give me my dream job as well...:

"Dear [Name],

I am contacting you in reference to the resume you posted online. The information in your resume has demonstrated that you may have the experience and qualifications that we are seeking in a candidate for our Administrative Assistant position.

Admin-Solutions is a unique business service offering employers and busy professionals the valuable support services they need in order to compete in an ever-changing global marketplace. Our team of skilled professionals can integrate into any work environment anywhere in the world giving businesses the flexibility required to succeed.

The Administrative Assistant position with Admin-Solutions provides support services for small businesses and executives. Our staff works from their home creating and editing documents, arranging schedules and making travel arrangements. Strong communication skills and flexible schedules are a must. Access to the internet, computer, fax and the most current Microsoft Office Suite is required for this position.

The generous compensation package developed by Admin-Solutions allows for increases in base pay upon completion of a 90-day introductory period. Other employment benefits include:

* $30.00 per hour base salary
* Medical, Dental, Vision Plan
* Tuition Reimbursement
* Student Loan Reimbursement Assistance

[Name] , if you are interested in receiving more information or applying for the Administrative Assistant position please click on the link below. You may copy and paste the address into your browser if the provided link is not functioning.

http://administrativeemploymentsolutions.com/careers.aspx?J=8440613

I’ll get in touch with you within a couple of business days of receiving your application. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Thank You,,

Brian Egelton
Admin-Solutions"

Yes, but no, Brian. Try someone else who can't use google.

goldengoddess said...

Thank you Anonymous! It's amazing what you'll find in your email these days. I've been getting notifications from PayPal (NOT) advising me that I have paid for an item, usually for a large amount of money too! It's a phishing email and all you have to do is forward it to spoof @ paypal.com (leave out the spaces) who will in turn email you a confirmation thank you for advising them of the fraudulent email. The more of us that share our experiences the better educated our readers will be, thanks again!