Contact 13 Consumer Alert
Job offer wanted Valley woman to wire money
Las Vegas, NV (KTNV) -- A Valley woman says she was almost duped by a potential job offer. Instead of falling for the bait she's sharing her story so others don't get enticed by this promise of employment.
"It's sad that you look on the internet and you try to find a job then you have all this," said Ali.
Ali had high hopes during her latest job search. She found an ad online for someone looking to hire a personal assistant. So she sent an email and a few days later got hired.
"He was saying you know you gonna get benefits," said Ali.
The man said Ali would soon get a FedEx package with a check inside. He wanted her to deposit the check and take some money out as part of her salary. The only problem is Ali said she was getting paid and hadn't done any work yet.
What made her even more suspicious is the man wanted her to wire the rest of the money to someone she didn't know in Texas who was supposedly in charge of an account for an orphanage. The email also asked her to get quotes for toy prices for kids at the orphanage.
"Ok, red flags open here there are toy stores in Amarillo, Texas so I didn't even except the FedEx," said Ali.
Instead, she emailed Contact 13. We tried calling and emailing the Chief Executive Officer at the company and never heard back. That's the same response Ali got when she emailed him back questioning if the job was legit.
So how does this deposit a check for me scheme work? The Federal Trade Commission says by law banks must make money from deposited checks available in a few days but it could take weeks to uncover a fake check. You may think the money is there but it's not.
"I guess he thought when he put the orphanage on there with the toys, different things for teachers, you don't use that," said Ali.
Ali is still looking for work but is much more cautious now.
"Be very leary of what you apply for and what you look for on the internet," said Ali.
Here is the Contact 13 bottom line. Beware of any offers to wire money. The FTC says it's like sending cash, there's no way to transfer or trace the money. They say if wiring money is part of your new job make sure it's to someone you know and trust.
This site uses Facebook comments to make it easier for you to contribute. If you see a comment you would like to flag for spam or abuse, click the "x" in the upper right of it. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use.