Link Serving/Consultancy Inc

[Dave P]

Hey Beyond,

Here is an interesting story for you:

A few months back, my sister was looking for some part time work. She found a company on kijiji (yes, I know, legit) that was looking for a personal assistant.
The companies name was Link Serving/Consultancy Inc. She submitted her resume, but never heard back from them.

So a few months go by, and all of a sudden she starts getting emails:

Date: Wed, 10 Feb 2010 03:42:32 -0800
Subject: Fedex Delivery in Am,1st Task ( personal assistant)
From: [email protected]
To:
Link Serving/Consultancy Inc
___________________________________________________________________
The company hereby contact you to let you know that few days ago an approval letter was sent about acting as a personal assistant for the company, our client was out of state and arrived weekend, therefore we apologies for all delay.Our client will fly down to your location coming week and at your free hours you will acting as a personal assistant here by assisting him to sort out things,like booking hotel,renting a car e.t.c,( ALL within your location,that is why YOU ARE ASSISGNED) Please note that client coming down is a company owner so you will have to deal perfectly at you best ability

We therefore must alert you that your 1st task will take place soon because our client is coming down to your city and you will be acting as a personal assistant.
We sent payment for some task (paying bills for client) and also advance salary in readiness to our client to carry out duties of a personal assistance as stated on previous email.

Below are details of your salary advance and task pay
1. Courier- fedex- 798370247669
2. Funds sent- canada $3400
3. Advance Salary- $300
4. $3100 for client 1st task

Above are analysis for funds.
You are expected to take off 1st task pay salary which is $300 and then rest funds will be utilised to carry out task for our client comign down,Notify us when you receive payment in AM TODAY BYfedex When you get payment today,you will need to deposit in bank and then request from us on your next line of action.
we are trusting you handle this for the company effectively
Management


So my sister was like WTF? There were no names, nothing like that. So she assumed it was a scam of some sort and sort of blew it off.

Then the next day:

Date: Thu, 11 Feb 2010 07:29:53 -0800
Subject: Have you carried out Task/ Urgent responds ( fedex delivery)
From: [email protected]
To:

Link Serve inc/consultancy
This is a notification to let you know that since payment is recieved and deposited,you will be expected to carry out task today or tommorrow.
Your update will be needed so that we can upgrade your records, as client will be arriving next week.
Early update is important
Management


At this point she is getting kind of worried she has gotten into something.
Then like clockwork FedEx showed up at her door with a package. She refused to sign for it, and the unhappy FedEx man went on his way.

So then the emails continue:


On Thu, Feb 11, 2010 at 7:30 AM, My sister wrote :
STOP EMAILING ME> I DONT KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT>


Date: Thu, 11 Feb 2010 07:38:33 -0800
Subject: Re: Have you carried out Task/ Urgent responds ( fedex delivery)
From: [email protected]
To:

aboit fedex payment and personal assistance aid job

On Thu, Feb 11, 2010 at 11:24 AM, my sister wrote:
please give me a phone number I can call you at about this.


Date: Thu, 11 Feb 2010 11:39:27 -0800
Subject: Re: Have you carried out Task/ Urgent responds ( fedex delivery)
From: [email protected]
To:

The call was made to clarify you but since you made up your mind and laugh then you will be hearing from our lawyer soon, funds are prepaid so you owe us cash of the exact amount

Management



She finally got a call from some crazy Asian and apparently he did a lot of yelling in have Asian/ half English. And was pretty rude on the phone.


They keep calling her and emailing her now, and she is getting worried she is into something over her head.

Has anyone from beyond heard about something like this? Any suggestions? Could beyond CSI maybe get me a number or location?

For now I am going to try and arrange a meeting for them with my uncle in Nigeria who wants to talk to them about a exciting business transaction

If anyone happened to be bored, feel free to sign their email ([email protected]) up for all sorts of fun stuff.

THANKS FOR YOUR HELP BEYOND!!!!!!

[Dave P]

haha she just got this

Date: Fri, 12 Feb 2010 05:40:54 -0800
Subject: Daily Update (Link serve inc / Consultancy ) response asap
From: [email protected]
To:


Link serve inc / Consultancy

This is a notification email to let you know that your file/records is upgraded and the company is willing to hear back from you on today update.
Write back and let us know how things are going today or the availability of funds to carry out the first task in readiness to the client coming your city coming week just like I earlier told you

We await your response
Management

[urban.one]

-contact the police. cops do look into frauds and scams like this. it might help others not get fooled.
-tell the scammer youve contact the police
-beware of identity fraud. you should never send your resume or apply with all your info to unknown places. they now have a ton of info on your sister.
-id ignore them. the scam is probably that they send you a bogus cheque. you deposit it and spend the money on stuff for their client. then the cheque bounces and your out the money in your account and their client is actually them.
-you didnt sign a contract or make any agreement
-scammers wont get a lawyer after you. that would mean theyd have to identify themselves

[Dave P]

Thanks for the advice. She is heading to the cop shop now.

Looks like this package was from vegas,

PMPicked up NORTH LAS VEGAS, NV

as per fed ex number

[Dave P]

haha it keeps getting better:

Date: Wed, 10 Feb 2010 10:23:51 -0800
Subject: Task/instruction/ Payment delivered by fedex
From: [email protected]
To:

Attn:
i do wish to inform you that since payment is delivered by fedex you will be advise to follow directives below for the task ahead- in other case if payment is not recieved then you will have to go to the local fedex to pick ( just in Case), when recieve deposit as instructed and wait 24 hours for funds to clear,after which task will be carried out
As you already know your salary per 1st task $300 so that is how much you would keep and shouldnt be withdrawn from your account unless you need it but funds for the errand/bill
for client who is coming down to your city weekend will be withdrawn and here is the details analysis
1.Funds- $3400
2. your salary- $300
3.company funds for client bill- $3100

We are buying some raw materials for our client directly from the manufacturing company down to your city through your physical address ( please let us know if thay can ship to you),other wise we can address raw materials to nearest fedex office
So and that's where the rest of the money you receive would be used for after you must have deducted your salary, here is the name and address of the accountant of the representative
of the manufaturing company you should wire the rest funds to via (MONEY GRAM)

NAME - ENAMUL HAQUE
PHYSICAL ADDRESS- 4 5STR RD
CITY : - STOCKHOLM
STATE- SWEDEN
COUNTRY- SWEDEN
FUNDS TO SEND- $3100 ( PLEASE DEDUCT CHARGES FROM $3100 AND SEND THE REST FOR THE BILLS).

Once this wire transfer has been done today, kindly get back to me with
these details below.

SENDER'S FULL NAME:
ADDRESS OF SENDER:
REFERENCE NUMBER / SECURITY NUMBER ( 8 DIGITS ):

LASTLY,we explain to you that 3-5 task can be performed weekly,this is where
You need to prove your ability,in terms of speed,accuracy,efficiency.
We hope this can be done today,then you can expect next task soon
Client flight arrangement will be emailed to you in few days.
I will be waiting for this details so we can proceed asap.
Regards,

Management.

[urban.one]

Good stuff. It would be funny if this was more than a financial scam and instead some sort of plot involving some other crimes.

[koopkoop2]

http://ezinearticles.com/?Money-Mule...-U.S.&id=61504

Imagine this - you open up your email box and an international company is offering you a dream job - you can be an agent for them - a financial intermediary - receiving payments for them and transferring money to them, and, naturally, keeping a commission on each transaction.

There's no investment, no money required. They are just looking for people with a good reputation that they can trust with their money.

The company needs a local agent because US banking laws restrict the accounts that a foreign company has, unless they have a U.S. citizen as a registered agent of the company.

It sounds really good. After all, the company is overseas and it needs a U.S. Agent to receive payments and all you have to do is wire-transfer the money to the company account overseas, less your commission.

There seems to be no way to lose, since you won't be putting out any of YOUR money and YOU have control over all incoming and outgoing payments.

You can't lose, can you?

Unfortunately you can. Take this job and you become a "money mule" - an unwitting participant in a scheme to defraud others.
Here's how it works: The company may or may not have a good looking website with what sounds like a legitimate name, "Techhydraulik" and says it's based in Germany.

Sounds like it is a technology company having something to do with hydraulics, doesn't it?

However, it is really an Internet front for Bad Guys who need to be able to transfer money out of the United States from people that they have defrauded through "Phishing."

Phishing is the practice of setting up fake bank sites that look just like the real bank site (for example, Wells Fargo) and sending emails to millions of people saying that there is an irregularity in their Wells Fargo account and to "click on the link to confirm your information or your account will be closed".

When you click on the link and fill out the fields for your account number, username and passwords, it sends the information to the Bad Guys who empty your account. Believe it or not, tens of thousands of people fall for this each year.

The Bad Guys then send the payment to their agent (you), and you wire-transfer the money, less your commission, to their overseas account.

Several weeks or months later, perhaps, there is a knock at your door and the FBI wants to know why you are receiving stolen funds. You explain that the funds are not stolen, they are payments for equipment purchased by people from Techhydraulik, and you are their legitimate agent.

You may not be held criminally liable since you were an unknowing dupe, but you may certainly be liable for repayment of all of the money that passed through your hands.

And of course, the real perpetrators have long ago closed that overseas account and disappeared.

How can you protect yourself?

Go to www.betterwhois.com and look up the information about the company's website. You'll be able to see when the .com was registered.

Typically, the names are registered just a few days before the email is sent out, because the individual websites are generally only up for a few days or weeks, to make it hard for authorities to trace. For example, techhydraulik.com was registered on August 2nd and the fraudulent email was sent out on August 15. Chances are the website will be gone shortly.

The techhydraulik.com website is hosted by computers in Russia where laws are lax and recovery is unlikely. It's also possible that if you did visit the techhydraulik site, your computer would be infested with password stealers, key loggers and spyware.

The Internet is a wonderful tool. It is also a place where you need to protect yourself from becoming a victim.