I replied to a job listing and got this as a reply... Is this a scam?

Mar 15, 2003
12,668
103
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So I found a job in the classifieds and sent them an email with my resume.. I got this reply and am thinking that this is a scam...

Cliff notes: You get $30 per "order" filled-most people do around 20 a week.. You work at home typing up documents and work at your own pace.. Catch is that you have to send us $25.00 for a training guide ... Hmmmm.....


Thank you for your interest, and for responding to our posting.









If you choose to take this opportunity you will need a computer, email access, and some knowledge of the internet. You also will be working for yourself. Which means you will be considered an Independent contractor. This also means that you will be responsible for your own taxes and keeping good records.





You will be selling informational reports to people across the country and if you choose so worldwide. Information is a never-ending commodity and is always high in demand. Ever wonder how most small business got their start? They got it from finding the proper information. Many got it from this opportunity that you are contemplating right now.





You will not have to contact anyone; you will be contacted by your clients through your email (explained fully in the training materials). Now you as with any job, you must be willing to work hard and respond to the invoices promptly. There is no contract to sign and no minimum or maximum number of invoices to fulfill.





Training





The training materials will give you step by step instructions on how to get started and when you receive your Training Materials you may begin working that very same day. Your training materials will be sent to you via email or by mail. The choice is yours.









Compensation





You will be paid $30 for each order you process, for example: if you process 20 orders a week, you will make $600.00 weekly. The amount of money you can make is virtually endless; it only depends on the time and effort that you are willing to put forth.





The average person earns $400.00 to $500.00 their first week. You will once again be responsible for keeping track of your earnings for tax time as you will be the one who will provide this information to the IRS.



Again, you will receive your training materials via email or by mail. This work from home opportunity is legitimate and how successful you are only depends on the time and the effort you put in to it.







Method of Payment





You can choose to receive your payments from your clients thru Citibank?s C2it, Pay Pal, by certified check or by money order the choice is yours. Remember you will be not be paid weekly; but by each order you process. So the quickest method of payment would be to your best interest. We recommend that if you choose checks you do not accept personal checks as they are not always guaranteed.







There is One Time Fee of $24.95 to begin. This fee is to cover the cost of the training materials that will be sent to you. But partly this fee is for the time it takes to update the program and time lost due to applicants who are not seriously interested. Naturally no business can afford to cover administrative costs, wasted time or provide costly materials to everyone who writes in asking for it. So think of it this way you have to invest money to make money. Plus once you have processed your first order you will already have made back the cost of you training materials.





If you put forth the time and follow the directions in the training material and you do not make back your money (which has yet to happen), we will refund the one time fee. Another plus side of this is that because you will be working as an independent contractor, this one time fee is TOTALLY TAX DEDUCTABLE!!!!





Now the choice is up to you. If you feel that this opportunity is for you then you may forward payment via Pay Pal, Certified check, or Money Order only. Please make payment payable to,





Ms. Chella Hatton



528 E. 11th St. Ste # 16



New York, New York 10009-4633





Please inform us of when payment will be sent your exact email address (this is if you want the materials sent by email it is very important) and the Method of payment for our records. We look forward to getting you started soon!!

We choose to receive the payment via Pay Pal, Certified Check, or Money Order for our tax records. Once we receive your payment, we will e-mail or mail you (for a $5.00 shipping charge your choice) all the training materials you need to get started. Once again, when you receive your training materials you may begin working on that very same day. Once you have processed your first order you will already made back the cost of your training materials.



Due to numerous contractors we work with, we ask that you contact us via email at (removed)







FAQ?s





Q: Are we a legitimate business??



A: Yes, along with your package you will receive the license that allows us to provide this program to you.



Q: Do you need any special programs for your computer to start this program??



A: No you do not need any special software for this program. As stated before all you need is a computer, access to the internet, and some general knowledge of the internet.



Q: How long is the training??



A: Most applicants typically complete the training in about two days or less. However, you can do this at your leisure; take as long or as little time you need.



Q: What will you get???



A: A Quick Start Training Guide Manual with simple instructions to get you started within one hour.



Q: What if you do not want the training materials sent to you via email??



A: Then please send along with your payment a shipping and handling charge of $5.00 and the address of where you would like the materials to be shipped to.



Please advise us soon of when you will be able to begin as we have several others who are also waiting to begin.





Warmest regards,





Ms. Chella Hatton
 

Any job whose FAQ starts out with "Are we a legitimate business?" is most likely not on the up-and-up.
 

rudder

Lifer
Nov 9, 2000
19,441
86
91
$25 for a training guide? Scam.

Otherwise why would the company just hire some people at $7.00 an hour to sell "orders" for $30 each.
 

StageLeft

No Lifer
Sep 29, 2000
70,150
5
0
I wouldn't consider unless you can find somebody on the net who's done it and can vouch for that income.
 

MegaloManiaK

Golden Member
May 27, 2003
1,207
0
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Originally posted by: jumpr
Any job whose FAQ starts out with "Are we a legitimate business?" is most likely not on the up-and-up.

Heh, if its a work from home job advertised in the paper by a company nobody has ever heard of then there is a 98% chance its a scam.

Especialy if they wont pay you an hourly rate. When people like this pay you per order you will find yourself working 40 hours a week to make 200-300 bucks.


Edit: reading the part about payment, they tell you not to accept personal checks. That sounds to me like you will have to collect money from these mysterious businesses who are paying you for reports containing yet undetermined content.
 

Zebo

Elite Member
Jul 29, 2001
39,398
19
81
So many Buzzwords in that article I don't have time to address but YES it is a scam.

Anytime you hear "own pace" "from home" watchout.
 

dman

Diamond Member
Nov 2, 1999
9,110
0
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$30 for each order you process.

That could mean for each sale you complete and not for each packet of paper you send out... you may be thinking I fill out a packet and send it out and that's a complete process, when in fact, they consider the process closed when you complete a $10,000 sale or something else completely crazy.

The reality of it is that the business is getting people to spend $25 to apply to learn something.

 

Zebo

Elite Member
Jul 29, 2001
39,398
19
81
Originally posted by: Skoorb
I wouldn't consider unless you can find somebody on the net who's done it and can vouch for that income.

Cause we all know no way they could plant a shill and everything some anonymous person says on the net is gospel.:p
 

dude

Diamond Member
Oct 16, 1999
3,192
0
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Originally posted by: Skoorb
I wouldn't consider unless you can find somebody on the net who's done it and can vouch for that income.

This doesn't pay enough! I'd suggest stuffing envelopes... it can make you upwards of $4,000 a week or more! :p
 

dpm

Golden Member
Apr 24, 2002
1,513
0
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jumpr hit the nail on the head. Steer clear of these things - they are much more trouble than they're worth.
 

Zebo

Elite Member
Jul 29, 2001
39,398
19
81
Originally posted by: dude
Originally posted by: Skoorb
I wouldn't consider unless you can find somebody on the net who's done it and can vouch for that income.

This doesn't pay enough! I'd suggest stuffing envelopes... it can make you upwards of $4,000 a week or more! :p

LOL

That along with nothing down real estate deals you should be retired by 25.:p

So does Extenze really work or what?
 

ElFenix

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Mar 20, 2000
102,393
8,552
126
smells like a scam to me. $25 probably gets you a badly-photocopied 1 page sheet
 

csiro

Golden Member
May 31, 2001
1,261
0
0

I have a feeling that the training package they'll be sending you will basically tell you to do what they are currently doing. Place wanted ads in the newspapers and wait for the applications to come in. People (suckers) then pay you $30 for the training/"information" packet that you'll be sending out. You'll essentially be one of their competitors.
 

crisp82

Golden Member
Apr 8, 2002
1,920
0
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There are so many scams out there nowadays. Personally, I don't understand how people can try (and in some cases suceed) to take advantage of those around them. I plan to start a petition, followed up by ad campaigns and a strong movement through the Political ranks to put a stop to these horrible people.

In order for me to achieve this goal, I will require some financial aid / backing. If you are with me, and believe that people should have more respect for their fellow man, send $10 to me at the below address so that I may begin my campaign.

All help in this matter is greatly needed and appreciate,

Yours sincerly,

Crisp82.

Crisp82@I'mnotascammer.com
 

Wuffsunie

Platinum Member
May 4, 2002
2,808
0
0
Originally posted by: DurocShark
Scamalicious!
Agreed. 'Course you could always check the Better Business Bureau in your area, see if they have complaints against them and how many.