possible scammer?

[anayda29]

Hi, do any companies do google interviews on google hangouts? I have an invitation for a job but I feel like it's a scam I haven't given out any information yet they are wanting to send me a check to my bank to buy office supplies sounds fishy they provided me with the info for the job, and the company name and the link to it looks real . I emailed that company to check still waiting on them the person who interviewed is waiting on some more info from me I told them ill talk to them tomorrow .so I need advice now could this really be a scam .how do I know? thank you hope to hear from you guys soon. also, a big red sign is that the job info is very different from the job info; that this person was interviewing me for but I was curious to see how far it would go I know that were are job scams and it sounded too good to be true...sorry for the typos need advice asap.

[nyrrielatienza]

Hi Anayda,

I'd like to confirm that interviews via a different site is alright to use though I would highly recommend to be extra careful with giving out personal information especially your financial accounts. Also please, check this post for more information about how to recognize and avoid scam jobs.

PS. If you could please send me a private message about this client's information so the team can review? That would be very helpful.

[anayda29]

thank you for replying.

[michael_skaggs]

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Anayda B wrote:

Hi, do any companies do google interviews on google hangouts? I have an invitation for a job but I feel like it's a scam I haven't given out any information yet they are wanting to send me a check to my bank to buy office supplies sounds fishy they provided me with the info for the job, and the company name and the link to it looks real . I emailed that company to check still waiting on them the person who interviewed is waiting on some more info from me I told them ill talk to them tomorrow .so I need advice now could this really be a scam .how do I know? thank you hope to hear from you guys soon. also, a big red sign is that the job info is very different from the job info; that this person was interviewing me for but I was curious to see how far it would go I know that were are job scams and it sounded too good to be true...sorry for the typos need advice asap.

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100% scam. The first giveaway is using Hangouts. There's nothing against using that, but seems that only scammers use it.

Second giveaway, wanting to send you a check to "buy office supplies." This is a classic scam.

They will want you to buy from one of their "approved vendors" using the proceeds from that check. This vendor will be a fraud as well. From here, one of two things will happen. 

1. You will be requested to wire money to the "vendor" immediately. Once you do, the check will bounce, and you will be out that money.
2. The check will be real, but the vendor will still be fake, and you will have just assisted them in laundering money, which is highly illegal.

They play this game by using the names of existing companies to seem legitimate. But no legitimate business operates this way. Withdraw your proposal to this job immediately, and flag it for Upwork to review. If the company they claim to represent is legitimate, said company will also want to know that people are attempting to perpetrate fraud usign their name.

[anayda29]

thank you so much for replying.

[prestonhunter]

re: "Do any companies do google interviews on google hangouts?"

No.

All invitations you receive on Upwork to interview using Google Hangouts are scammers.

You will save time by quickly declining such interview requests. Don't read them or reply in any way.