Just this week, one of our colleagues almost fell victim to another one of those scam job offers. This time, though, the job position is not a nanny but a high-paying and lucrative post at the United Nations in New York.
The job ad was forwarded to him by a friend who saw the advertisement online. He replied to the ad and filled up an “interview form.” A few days later, he got the following email informing him that he got the job and that he is being offered a salary of more than $10,000 a month.
The email goes:
From the Commission on Sustainable Development
United Nations
New York, USA
Dear xxx,
Your application for job at the UNCSD has been successful. Attached with this email is an employment agreement to be signed and dated by you in acceptance of this job. You are required to send back the signed employment agreement to human_resources@un-csd.org.
Also find attached the E-Copy of your employment letter and UN Declaration which you are expected to attend to. You shall receive the original copy of your employment letter via courier alongside your other traveling documents in due course.
Before then you will be required to contact e_staff@un-csd.org for information/details on your traveling documents and logistics for the mandatory 3 weeks UNCSD Orientation and intensive training in your field. The training is scheduled for the months of April, May and June. You are mandated to attend the training with the traveling arrangement and plans made ONLY by UNCSD to avoid complications and immigration issues.
Congratulations and welcome to the UNCSD family.
Warm Regards,
Dr Frith Raehl
Director
Human Resources Department
COMMISSION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT.
Two UN Plaza, 21st Floor
New York, NY 10017.
U.S.A.
====================
UNCSD EMPLOYMENT OFFER
I am directed to inform you that your application has been considered for the position of Finance Officer. You have been offered provisional employment which shall be rectified after your 3 months probation.
Salary: Per Organization policy you will be eligible to receive an annual net starting salary of US$129,420.00 paid in monthly installments by direct deposit into your choice account or by check. The offered position is full-time.
Performance Benefit: You shall be paid up to 10% of your annual salary annually based on your performance by direct deposit into your choice account or by check.
Medical and Health Benefits: Basic medical services are provided to staff to help maintain the health status at a medical center in your duty station. A voluntary group medical insurance plan is offered to help provide protection to you and your dependents against the cost incurred as a result of medical emergency.
Leave: Annual leave is accrued at the rate of 2.5 working days per month of service, total 30 working days per year. You are also entitled to special leave with or without pay subject to approval which includes educational leave or staff development leave.
Insurance: The various insurance plans are available to staff on voluntary and mandatory basis based on the insurance plan: Group life insurance plan; Group accidental death or disability insurance plan and workers compensation insurance plan. Also you will receive taxable government housing scheme, as well as a taxable cost-of living allowance where the cost of living is higher than in New York. You may also receive a “school-away-from-post” allowance for the education of your dependent children. Please be advised that our notification to you that your application is successful and invitation to training is a direct confirmation that you are now a new entrant into UNCSD as a staff and would be deployed to post at the completion of your mandatory one month long Training.
Best regards and Congratulations,
DR FRITH RAEHL
DIRECTOR
HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT (UN-CSD)
Our friend was almost sure this was a done deal. Good thing he relayed this to us and we told him to conduct due diligence first to confirm the authenticity of the offer.
We initially checked the site from where the email originated. UN-CSD.ORG does exist and, at first glance, it seems to be an official United Nations site.
However, the actual and truly official website of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development is this. Which means the website www.un-csd.org may be a fake one.
Next to check: the registration info of the site, which identifies who owns a website. A WHOIS check of the official www.un.org website shows the following:
Domain Name: UN.ORG
Created On: 31-Jan-1995 05:00:00 UTC
Last Updated On: 28-Jan-2010 21:00:44 UTC
Expiration Date: 01-Feb-2015 05:00:00 UTC
Sponsoring Registrar: Network Solutions LLC (R63-LROR)
Status: CLIENT TRANSFER PROHIBITED
Registrant ID: 42850152-NSI
Registrant Name: United Nations
Registrant Organization: United Nations
Registrant Street1: 405 E42nd St
Registrant Street2:
Registrant Street3:
Registrant City: New York
Registrant State/Province: NY
Registrant Postal Code: 10017
Registrant Country: US
Registrant Phone:+1.212963123
Registrant Phone Ext.:
Registrant FAX:
Registrant FAX Ext.:
Registrant Email: admin@un.org
On the other hand, a WHOIS check of www.un-csd.org shows a different info:
Domain Name: UN-CSD.ORG
Created On: 18-Feb-2009 23:24:01 UTC
Last Updated On: 13-Jan-2010 10:07:11 UTC
Expiration Date: 18-Feb-2010 23:24:01 UTC
Sponsoring Registrar:007 Names, Inc (R8-LROR)
Status: OK
Registrant ID: O5OV3UR4GE
Registrant Name: UN CSD
Registrant Street1: 8101 Sandy Spring Road
Registrant Street2:
Registrant Street3:
Registrant City: Laurel
Registrant State/Province: MD
Registrant Postal Code: 20707
Registrant Country: US
Registrant Phone: +1.5167408892
Registrant Phone Ext.:
Registrant FAX:
Registrant FAX Ext.:
Registrant Email: boostinggud3@yahoo.com
It is unusual that www.un-csd.org was created only in 2009 while UN’s official site www.un.org has been in existence since 1995.
Also, it is strange that the registrant address is in Laurel, Maryland (MD) considering that the UN CSD’s office in the email is in New York.
Most peculiar, however, is the registrant email. There is not much credibility if the registrant person of a UN site is using a weird-sounding email address such as boostinggud3@yahoo.com. Why not an official un.org email add?
That is the give-away. This job offer is 100% scam.
I am sure if you continue communicating with that “United Nations” person, you will be asked to pay some amount for the “traveling arrangements” or for some other work-related expense.
In that case, it becomes a full-fledged scam because the United Nations won’t ask payment from a job applicant.
Be informed and be warned. Do not fall for job scams like this one.
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Oh my goodness! This is my first time to hear about this kind of scam. I can’t believe those scammers are using the UN.
Thanks for the informative post.
Dear Sir/Madam,
I’m glad I found this article. I was succumbing to exactly this scam. I had just received notice of my ‘successful application’, it turns out for a real post that was filled two years ago. And ‘they’ sent me a couple of very convincing forms to fill in. That’s when I paused and began to realise it was nonsense.
My questions now are: 1) based on what I have sent them already, how vulnerable am I? and 2) what can I do to minimise the danger? The information I divulged so far seems innocuous to me, but I don’t know.
In short, I filled in one form that was basic cv stuff; second, I responded to a touchy-feely set of interview questions (sh%&*, all the time that took!); and third, I sent (uncertified) scans of my diplomas.
I see from your website that their registrant of the fraudalent website is based in Maryland, or claims to be. Is there some way I can lodge a complaint with the Maryland police? Is there any purpose in doing so?
I’d be grateful for any advice. In the meantime, thanks for confirming that I’m an idiot.
-Michael
No face to face interview?
Shame on them.
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haha, marami talaga, nakakatawa nga kapag ka nakausap mo sila sa YM tapos ang English nila ay hindi maintindihan. Kapag ka humingi na ng pera, alam mo na na hindi naman talaga sila genuine kasi naghahanap ka nga ng work para magkapera, hindi para perahan! lol
Marami talagang mga Uncle Scam ngayon sa internet kaya dapat talaga i research ng mabuti bago magtiwala.
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boostinggud3@yahoo.com can be found here
Oh my God !
I have sent all my relevant documents to those scammers (copy of passport, photograph, marriage certificate, birth certificates of my children and my wife, an entry medical examination form filled, my diplomas, CV…)
I sent most of them just yesterday 07 of February 2009, it’s too late to delete the message;
They are many operating in the fake UN agency :
Dr FRITH RAEHL, the HR DIRECTOR
Dr RONALD THURMAN, The Recruitment Officer
Mr BENNETT JONES, Hiring Co-Ordinator
MARGALITH MOSHE, from the Office of HR Management.
I am sure that it was planned that their agent, Dahue International, which was going to facilitate the travel arrangements by asking money. Thanks God I discovered it today.
I don’t know exactely what will happen with all those documents sent to them, i am afraid, they could use my identity to commit all kind of fraud. Plese tell me what to do to prevent it or to anticipate on their negative actions. I am in Africa, not in USA and I fell into their trap by sending my documents.
But i am intending to go to complaint at the Office of Interpol here in my country.
Please, you can contact me also and give me your advice at this address: hbascal@yahoo.fr
Bascal
Its Oct 2011 and the scum is still on (growing stronger) especially in Africa. Many people are still falling victims except majority fall out when they ask for preposterous large amounts of fees. I just want to know if any of the victims documents sent way back have been used against them?
I also just fell for this. I became suspicious when I discovered they had not contacted any of my references and then found this website today. Thanks. I also discovered “my” same job filled a couple of years ago. Like Michael Aliber (note #3) says, I did fill in a personal facts sheet with some information that I suppose could be used for some sort of fraud. What can we do?
Bottomline is, people who always fall for these scams are those who think that there is ALWAYS a shortcut for everything. Come to think of it, madalas mabiktima ng mga scams ang mga taong desperate. Unfortunately, these scammers are very much aware na maraming Pinoy ang desperadong makahanap ng magandang trabaho. If Pinoys can only become very smart, no need to work abroad. Maraming LEGITIMATE and GOOD opportunities dito sa Pinas!
We must be aware and be cautious on every possible scam that is out there. Prevention is the key. If there would be no possible scam victims, then these scammers will stop.
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I agree…we should all be vigilant nowadays especially if a lot of scams like these are emerging. Always check them if they are indeed legitimate before considering to accept encouraging offers. Thanks for sharing, I hope a lot of us are warned by this! Great site, by the way!
You guys, should just take the risk, if you’re really looking for a job. These sites might help you: odesk, elance, and staff.com