- Ellen Davis, a writer, said he was targeted by a false work fraud while looking for distance work.
- Fraud included imitation of HR representatives and searching for personal information, according to screen footage.
- Davis warned others to trust their instincts and to be wary of unusual work processes or requirements.
This essay is based on a conversation with Ellen Davis, a New York -based writer. Its identity has been verified and BI has seen screen footage from its correspondence. This essay has been edited for length and clarity.
For many years, I have worked as a writer and producer marketing and promotion in large networks and companies like People Magazine.
My last role ended a few months ago and I was actively looking for work. I was mostly going after the roles of the author of the remote writing and I found it difficult to get even a particle.
At the beginning of this month, I received a message from a possible job I had applied, which seemed a little strange to me, but I thought, ‘well, it’s a whole new world there. Technology has changed and perhaps this is how representatives are contacting people. ‘
They said they liked my resume and thought I would be appropriate.
I was not surprised to hear from the company because I applied there. Ellen Davis
I was not surprised to hear from the company. The name was known because I applied there and immediately checked the names they were using at LinkedIn and they were true representatives of human resources from the company.
That’s how I started communicating.
Was a scam
The person who sent me messages told me to contact someone on Google Chat, who also had to be a red flag – but I did it. Her original message said, “We have to hear from you as soon as possible,” and I thought, I will not interview the weekends. I said I would be available on Monday.
We never had a Zoom call. We never talked on the phone. She sent me a series of questions asking why I am best suited for this job and what my qualifications are.
Things began to get strange when she asked me what my credit outcome was. I should have finished things right there, but instead, I said, “Honestly, I don’t know what my credit outcome is.”
Things began to get strange when she asked me about my credit outcome. Ellen Davis
Then she told me what good work I did and said she would introduce me to the board of directors, which seemed absurd to me that a copy of the copies would go to the board of directors.
At that moment, I began to feel a little strange, so I went to LinkedIn and wrote messages to two people from the current company whose names were used in these fraudulent communications with me.
As I was waiting to hear the answer from them, the person on Google Chat said the board of directors was very impressed with my credentials and they would like to hire me as an author. As soon as she said this, she also sent a list of equipment she would send to me to do the job, including a 15 -inch MacBook, headset, laminator and printer. As a writer, I thought I would just send a file – why would I have to laminate?
The recruiter sent a list of equipment that would send me to be able to do the job, including a 15 -inch MacBook, headphone, laminator and printer. Ellen Davis
Then I saw that I had a message at Linked. It was the woman from the current company that confirmed that Google Chat was a scam and said the company would never contact me with text or Google Chat.
Immediately I blocked the fraudsters.
Trust your instincts
The fraudsters tightened me for at least four or five hours. If I am going to interview a company, I research the company. Take the notes I have ahead when I will pass an interview.
I have heard this scam earlier, where they want to have all this technology to do the job and send a check to cover its cost and the control turns out deceit. I have a feeling that he was going there.
I’m upset that I didn’t get these signals, but I was eager to move things forward. It was a company that promoted sustainability and I just thought it would have been fascinating work and something in which I really believe.
Since then I have applied for some other work, but my heart has been broken a little after that and definitely not feel safe at the moment.
There is so much cruelty there and it may seem like everyone is trying to separate you from your money and dignity. We need to protect each other a little.
That’s why I’m trying to show this: If you think something is wrong, it is likely to be wrong – very rarely you have that feeling of discomfort in a legitimate interview.
You can be nervous. You can be tense. But if you think something doesn’t go, trust your instinct.