My niece, Anna, is a teacher in the Birmingham public school system.
Another teacher in the system was phished, and the phisher sent an email to a group of other teachers, offering them a summer job as an administrative assistant, making $500 a week for just 8 hours of work. Tempting?
The email contained a link to a Google form containing the application.
The form continues by asking for their full name, email address: (not the school email address!), alternate email address and phone number, as well as their current occupation, age, gender and available time.
Why does it say “No school email!” » — because this scam is precisely being carried out by phishing in schools across the country!
His new boss, Dr. Reinn, texted him at the phone number (904) 297-8521, got his resume, reviewed it and offered him the job on the spot!
She was hired and given a set of tasks and responsibilities via EMAIL.
Its missions were essentially:
- DONATE to three host families per month
- book TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS for your boss and associates
- manage RETURNS and errands such as groceries, POST
- send birthday cards and GIFTS to customers, family and friends
His first mission would be to donate to a local orphanage.
So he emails her an IMAGE of a check she was supposed to mobile deposit, then sends $4,800 of the $4,950 via ZELLE to a second scammer email: lookatthepudding@gmail. com
I don’t know why she would think that this check isn’t TOTALLY LEGITIMATE, right? And why wouldn’t donations to an orphanage be sent to someone’s Zelle account named “Look At The Pudding?” »
Obviously, Anna’s name and the amount were placed on the check on another piece of paper and then photographed. Who writes a check like that? Oh! Someone who STOLE a check and needs to reuse it but is too lazy or stupid to wash it properly.
She wisely DOES NOT deposit the check, which reveals that she knows it is a scam.
Unfortunately, during the job application process, she had to provide references. Now the scammer is calling and messaging her references asking where she is and claims she stole $4,950 from his business and he was trying to track her down to get her arrested. He also called his current employer at least three times.