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Have you been a victim of a job scam?

12:12 pm May 26, 2009, by Joy Johnston

Recently the AJC reported that a growing number of metro Atlanta residents were becoming victims of job scams. One woman paid $1.97 in shipping and handling charges for a “free” CD that was supposed to offer a program for job seekers. She ended up being charged $72.21. Another job scam involves rebate processing, where companies are charging upfront fees of $40 to $500 for a starter kit to process rebates from home.

And while many of these scams are online in nature, you can also be swindled in person. As noted in the article, a scam busted up by Gwinnett police in April asked job candidates who applied in person to pay $260 for bartender training before they could work at a phony nightclub in Duluth.

Have you come across any shady companies offering help to job seekers as you look for employment? Have you ever become a victim of a job scam?

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10 comments Add your comment

S. Hurley

May 26th, 2009
6:40 pm

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Carmen

May 26th, 2009
6:56 pm

I sent my resume via e-mail to apply to an Executive Assistant position posted on the AJC Job section. The reply came with a charge for (I think it was) $45.00 or so to re-write my resume in a way that I was certain to get the job. The company sending the reply was a convent of nuns and clerigs is you can believe it. The web-site even had picture of some of the nuns working from their office in California!! I replied with an e-mail stating that I was not interested but we had a laugh at the office with the scam. I wonder sometimes how many people actually fell for that one.

DeeMack

May 26th, 2009
8:10 pm

I also thought I was getting a Google CD for 1.95 cents and did not READ THE FINE PRINT. They proceeded to take $47.50 out of my bank account. I reported my card as being lost and paid $5 for a replacement. That will not happen AGAIN! I had to remind myself; “If it’s too good to be true, it is!

gmr

May 26th, 2009
8:49 pm

I was a victim of Mystery Shoppers. I was scammed out of $6,000.00 thinking that the money orders that Bank of America (BOA)cashed were real moneygrams.
Now I am stuck paying the money back to BOA. If you have been scammed by Mystery Shoppers email me at Imginga@aol.com and lets see what we can so legally about it.

Cal

May 27th, 2009
9:06 pm

I was a victim of a trucking company name Bailey & Bailey trucking in Long Lane, MO. The owner placed ad in internet hiring owner operator only. She put pay settlement for 5%/7 days, 3%/14 days, 401K…are nothing but scam. She not only rush me to go on the road before she send me IFTA but also violated DOT regulation for not requiring drug test from me. After i worked a week, she lied to me about pay me for another week due to it took a week to put new employee into their system. By the time she said she can pay me, she find another excuse for not able to pay me due to she never got pay from all of the shippers for 3 months and she doesn’t know what’s going on in their payroll dept. She never pay me for total $6.7K, I lost all my saving for fuel expense , lumper and toll.
Any driver or owner operator see this comment, please be aware and tell others, do not apply job on this company. the owner is professional SWINDLER!!

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Phillip

June 14th, 2009
10:25 am

So many “job opening” listed in ajc and other papers (via hotjobs) are nothing more than marketing scams for collecting contact information. (mainly for online continuing education and resume writing services) Highly frustrating and unintentially requested, job applicants are bombarded by phone calls and emails trying to sell everything from MBA’s to auto insurance to home mortgage refinance to magazine subscriptions. It may not be illegal, but it certain is an exploiting of a loop-hole in the anti-spam laws. These ads can be found in every category and every major paper in the US.

It would help if the AJC (and others) would identify these fake job ads and refuse to publish them in the “jobs” sections if they are not truly employment opportunities.

Smacks of false advertising.

Chance

July 18th, 2009
3:58 pm

I also was a victim of Bailey And Bailey Trucking. I quit just Friday, July 17th 09, with her owing me over $5000. She is a scam artist. She kept coming up with excuse after excuse of why I wasnt getting paid. Cal if you see this please contact me at SixPackTrucking@sprint.blackberry.net Thanks. I would love to have a lil more info for my lawyer.

Fionna

August 3rd, 2009
10:58 pm

There is a company out there called Jim Rowland Personnel. The office is located in the Peachtree Center building in downtown Atlanta. I interviewed there for a “job” many months ago. The company is suppose to place workers at various firms throughout metro Alanta. I did not get a good feel off of the guy who did the interview. He asked me personal questions during the interview such as did I have a family, which is totally against federal law and he also asked me for my social security number so that he can verify my degree from the college that I graduated from. I am aware that the registrars office at most schools will not release information unless the requestor provides a student ID# or social security number. Long story short, I was not placed on that “so called” job and I have never heard from this firm again.

lunachic

September 6th, 2009
9:54 pm

We are a victim of Bailey & Bailey also and I know of 2 others.
Please put the word out……..
She cost us everything.
You can reach me at lunachic3@yahoo.com or http://www.truckersforum.net

KT

November 24th, 2009
1:56 pm

I read a couple of articles posted on AJC about Dallas, GA residents making good money with Google. I visited the site in the article to get more information, and of course they required you to pay postage of $2.97 to receive their cd and information. I paid for what I thought I was going to receive via mail. CD never came. I called back after two weeks and cancelled my order. Two weeks later my account was debited $99 from a company TCQ*ONLINEBIZKIT 800-497-4988

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