Man alerts authorities to Internet scheme (MUST READ)

[TexasStooge]

By STEVE STOLER / WFAA ABC 8

The FBI is investigating an Internet scheme that promises North Texans easy money by working from home.

Better Business Bureau officials are warning consumers about the offer, which tells people they can work from home as an escrow agent with no start-up fees. It said the company will send you a check, and you in turn send out a check and collect a commission.

Brandon Riley received a check for $6,000 from a Flower Mound couple. All-State Escrow, as the firm is called, then instructed him to mail a cashier's check to a man named Antoine in Moscow.

"Had I deposited this check into my account, number one they would have frozen my account, which would've been my business account," Riley said. "I would have had no access to any funds, ingoing or outgoing."

Riley became suspicous and called the Iowa bank named on the check he received; they told him there were insufficient funds to cover the check. He then contacted the Flower Mound couple listed on the check, who said they never wrote it.

"The scam is, the check you receive is bogus, and even though you may deposit it into your bank and send that cashier's check out, there's no funds behind it," said the BBB's Jeanette Kopko. "You're out thousands of dollars; your account gets frozen. It's a big headache."

The culprits apparently stole parts of a legitimate website to create their fake one; they even used the Better Business Bureau logo.

"They are not a member of the Better Business Bureau anywhere," Kopko said. "Even if they were a member, they couldn't put it on their website in this way."

Riley worries he may have given too much personal information to the people behind the scheme. He said he's learned a lesson.

"If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is," he said.

The FBI is investigating the All-State Escrow Internet scheme.

BBB officials said consumers should be wary of any easy-money offers, even it the ad displays their seal of approval. They're asking anyone who may have become a victim in this or similar schemes to give them a call.

[CentralFlGal]

Look who's on Career Builder:
http://www.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/Jobs/JobResults.aspx?ncn=%5E%22East+Hampton%22%24&IPath=JR&cbRecursionCnt=1&cbsid=daf331ff19d54cb3ab53dd0c7c5302c6-171816527-x0-2

Corporate Representatives

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Company: All-State Escrow
Location: US-CT-East Hampton
Base Pay: N/A
Employee Type: Full-Time Employee
Industry: Accounting - Finance
Banking - Financial Services
Public Relations
Manages Others: No
Job Type: Admin & Clerical
Consultant
Customer Service
Req'd Education: High School
Req'd Experience: Less Than 1 Year
Req'd Travel: Negligible
Relocation Covered: No

Contact: Robert Rodriguez
Phone: Not Available
Email: Send Email Now
Fax: 800-549-5087
Instantly fax your resume online!

Ref ID: Not Available

DESCRIPTION
We are looking for entry level applicants from a wide variety of backgrounds to work as Corporate Representatives to perform various administrative duties. No experience is necessary. If you are goal-oriented with good communication skills, this is the job for you! All details and sign-up at http://www.all-state.net

REQUIREMENTS
No special skills needed

[Aslkahuna]

I may have gotten a similar e-mail here but since I delete everything from addresses not in my address book, I didn't bother to read it.

Steve

[cswitwer]

Why does this say "MUST READ" exactly? I thought that tag was for mods and Board-related items.