Fresh Scam

[portersquarehelp]

Received email last night from a **Edited for Community Guidelines**, Recruitment Lead at **Edited for Community Guidelines**, saying I'd been selected for an interview with **Edited for Community Guidelines**, Hiring Manager. Was instructed to contact him via Google Hangouts to setup an interview about the Editor position.

This morning, I contacted him. He was immediately ready to interview and was on Hangouts with him for an hour or more. This included a 30 minute questionaire that we went thru.

It ended with him sending some paperwork with a Bayer watermark to be filled out and him explaining that they would be sending a check to cover the needed hardware/software. 

It was not easy to find out how to report such suspicious activity. When instructions were found, they said to flag the job posting as inappropriate, but there is no such flag appearing when I view the posting. Upwork should make reporting such activity swift and easy (and update the instructions if necessary).

They got my mailing address, email, and phone number. And 2+ hours of my time. 

**Edited for Community Guidelines**

[prestonhunter]

Travis:

There are a few new wrinkles in this, but it's just a variation on the old fake check scam.

If you want to save a LOT of time, just block any client who asks you to interview via Google Hangouts.

Being asked to speak to a "Hiring Manager" is pretty much always a sign of a scam.

No client, whether a scammer or not, should be wasting so much of your time with "interviews" and paperwork.

I'm sorry you had your time wasted. At least you didn't cash the fake check and send them money, which would mean losing thousands of dollars.

[portersquarehelp]

Thank you for taking the time to make a kind and helpful reply! Just started here, so the Google Hangouts part did not immediately set off alarms. Have a good day.

[g_vasilevski · Accepted solution]

Hi Travis,

I`m sorry to hear about the bad experience you had.

I can confirm the job post you are referring to was already removed and client's account addressed for violating Upwork ToS. Please take a look at the list of tips for recognizing fraudulent jobs Lena compiled and posted Here. Thank you.

[portersquarehelp]

Thank you Goran! Very responsive and very helpful, including the link. 

[kat303]

Had you taken the time to learn what to look out for as well as the procedures and how to work correctly on this site, then the first thing you would have done after hearing Google Hangouts was to report them and then move on. 

You would not have wasted all that time, and you would not have given out any personal information. They have your mailing address. expect a check.   

Question for you - After you search this site and learn about scams,.   what are you going to do when that check arrives????

[e0224d5d]

I just had this happen! He was in such a rush for this urgent position that I didn't have the time to go through the guide about preventing fraud and what to look for. This time the position was for a copy editor. Reporting him now and also sending an email to Bayer, since he listed several names of actual employees.

[prestonhunter]

re: "and also sending an email to Bayer, since he listed several names of actual employees."

I know that your intentions are pure. But please don't contact the real company whose name and employee info was copied off the internet and used by scammers.

Sending an email like that does NOT benefit that company, or you. It just wastes your time and theirs and potentially spreads ill will.

[e0224d5d]

Thank you, Preston. If it's not going to help, then I won't bother.