A community of 30,000 US Transcriptionist serving Medical Transcription Industry

beware of online employment scam - sigher

Posted: Apr 07, 2012

Just received this email from a fraud-alert company:

A New Twist to the Online Job Search Scam

With the country's current economic position coupled with the fluctuating unemployment rate, people are searching and posting for jobs all over the internet. Unfortunately, criminals have taken notice.

The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) reports they have "recently received over 250 complaints reporting a new twist to the online employment scam. The scam involves people who responded to online ads or were contacted via e-mail as a result of their resume being posted on job websites. The perpetrator posed as a research company, and asked people to complete a paid survey about services provided at wire transfer locations to improve the effectiveness of the company's money-transfer services."

Per the IC3, this is how the scam happens:

Victims received a cashier's check or money order in the mail and instructed to deposit it, keep a small fee and wire the rest to another recipient
Then they were told to send the information about the wire transfer to the "employer", and fill out a survey about the wire transfer experience
Victims threatened with jail time if they do not follow through promptly
Shortly after the transaction, the bank informs victims that the cashier's check or money order was fraudulent, and the victim is responsible for paying the money back

imo - omi

[ In Reply To ..]
people who think it's normal to only keep a little bit of a cashed check and wire the rest deserve to be scammed. Dont be so dang dumb.

If people STILL fall for this scam - I dont feel a bit sorry for them

[ In Reply To ..]
Ye gads, some reincarnation of this scam has been around for YEARS, yet people keep fallng for it. Heck, even some drug addict on Intervention was falling for it (repeatedly) to the tune of about $100K, I believe. MTV even showed one of the brighter Teen Moms falling for this ruse when she was selling her car. It's been covered in newspapers, on the internet, in magazines, literally everywhere, to warn people, yet still fools looking for a quick buck continue to jump on it, then whine when they get burned.

If people still refuse to educate themselves about or ignore current events, etc., I'm all out of pity for them. I'll save my pity for people such as some of the MTs who post here, that work their backsides off for an MTSO and then don't receive their fair pay, or those struggling to find a job in general in this economy. I'm a compassionate person who has sympathy for MANY in our country, but the greedy people that fall for this "something for nothing" scam? Nope, not one iota.

I don't suffer fools lightly. And these people are straight-up fools in my opinion.

Beware of online employment scam - greyhound mom

[ In Reply To ..]
I received one of those scams where you keep part of the check and send the rest to another country. It is true that if you sign up to do surveys, that is how they get your email address. I knew this was a scam. The check was for $3,220. I was to keep $400 and send the rest off to the Philippines. I didn't send anything anywhere and I received another email from them telling me to take care of it in 2 to 3 days. I replied I knew it was a scam and said they should be ashamed of themselves. I never heard anything from them. The check really looks authentic. I would be ashamed to go to my bank with this check.

if you replied, you also might want to run a virus scan - for little things that track.

[ In Reply To ..]
better safe than sorry.

. - who WOULD fall for this Nigerian scam?

[ In Reply To ..]
...taking a deep breath...

Blows my mind - AnonToo

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I have an acquaintance who has 2 friends that fell for this AFTER it made the news what 10 years ago? I couldn't believe it. Occassionally one of my inlaws, not the brightest in the bunch, will ask my husband about it (because he's in IT and apparently that takes precedent over common sense). He just rolls his eyes and tells them to read something other than celebrity website stuff once in awhile.

Not surprising--people still fall for matchbook schools, too. - Even MTs!

[ In Reply To ..]
Common sense seems to fly out the window. Just think about how notorious the problem of matchbook schools and technical/career "colleges" has been in the MT industry. Ads in women's magazines and on buses, free seminars extolling the money you can make from typing for doctors at home, and loads of financial aid. Boards like this were flooded with complaints from pathetic "graduates" who couldn't understand why they were unemployable or why none of the doctors on the list the school gave them were desperate for a home typist.

Yet, after seeing that year after year after year, what do we have now? MTs who see ads in magazines and free seminars for medical billing software and coding courses.

And that is AFTER scam websites and consumer agencies warn against them, and after the government enacts legislation to force diploma mills to disclose completion rates, debt burden of graduates, and the likelihood of them getting a job.

Just look on the coding forum. "Hey! Just wondering if anyone has heard of ..." It will be one of the same diploma mill schools from 20 years ago, just with the latest name change.

When it comes to continuing education, I'm old school. I go to - an accredited community college; no on-line

[ In Reply To ..]
stuff for me. I would want my employers to at least recognize the school or be able to locate it and say that they have heard of it.

Community colleges mostly teach online now - Very old school, indeed

[ In Reply To ..]
Not only that, but the instructors are mostly invisible and provide no help. You are on your own!

I have NEVER heard of a college that DOES NOT - allow you to choose a live class - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
As much as technology has changed, you are still allowed to attend live classes if you choose to do so.

Maybe its just been your personal experience and the classes that you have chosen, but I have never, EVER heard of such a thing and I live in a city with 2 Universities and 2 community colleges.

And by the way I have two kids in college. - I realize you can take virtual classes, but

[ In Reply To ..]
It is not mandatory as you make it sound.

I have to agree. I live in 5th largest city, all our - colleges offer online but only selected

[ In Reply To ..]
classes - most of hte work is on campus. The online classes are condensed into a shortter time frame as well. In my state the online courses by no means replace the usual, rather offer an opportunity to get that missing credit accomplished while taking a full load and/or working. Offered only optional on both the community college and state, city college full 4 year colleges.

I actually attended 3 and know of many more - Online only

[ In Reply To ..]
Your view may be colored by your kids' experience. I also thought this thread was referring to HIT and HIM subjects like MT and coding, RHIT and RHIA.

In those areas, most classes are primarily online at many colleges. HIT subjects in particular are being taught using online teaching modules produced by book publishers or faculty. This is true even if the class or part of it meets locally in a classroom.

I know of at least 4 completely online associates programs in HIT, including the college here which has no classroom sessions at all. I know of at least 4 completely online RHiA programs. There are also many MBA programs. I know of one entire university that has no in-person classes at all, and it is not a diploma mill (Western Governor's).

There is no stigma to online. I think that was what the OP was getting at. Your comment made it sound as though online was almost shady or scammy.

Some students do not do well with online. That may be the case for your kids. I have done two in-person degrees at a major university and completed a second bachelor's at another that was online. I have also done online work at 2 community colleges. From investigations into how courses are being conducted, I know that nearly all the online HIT classes are the same, to the point of using the same materials, no matter what the school.

I also know that the new health IT programs use standardized online material. They are intended to BE online in order to reach the most students.

I got one telling me I had been chosen to work - as a "secret shopper"...whatever.

[ In Reply To ..]
it even said I only had to work 2-3 days a week and some other BS. I just deleted it and added it to the spam list.

Not sure if you heard from a legit company, but there are such - things as secret shoppers. NM

[ In Reply To ..]
`

Either way, I'm not interested in anyone soliciting - employment via email to total strangers.

[ In Reply To ..]
Not to mention, I'm definitely not interested in being a secret shopper.

Got one of the scams on email - JW

[ In Reply To ..]
I think I may have gotten some of these scams. I got three of them and they all told me to get a yahoo IM account and talk to someone about the job which was not related to medical transcription. I think they picked up my resume somewhere. You have be be aware of these scams.

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