Work At Home Scam
Credit Union of Georgia has been alerted of the following scam targeting people who are seeking part-time work positions.
Job vacancies are being listed on Craig’s List from a potentially fraudulent company going by the name of ABS Consulting. The positions listed are for “Mail Assistants” and are labeled as part-time, work from home positions. The company in question, ABS Consulting, claims to be a leading global provider of risk management services based out of Luxembourg and to have facilities throughout Europe operating under the name of “Forward Luxembourg”.
Job seekers applying for these positions are asked to perform the following tasks as a part of their job description:
- Receive Mail at Home
- Scan the Front of Each Envelope Received
- Email Scanned Images to the Company
- Ship Accumulated Mail Bi-Weekly Using a Pre-Paid UPS/FedEx Postage Label Provided Via Email
In addition, after two weeks of employment, “Mail Assistants” will receive an email guaranteeing an $800.00 paycheck and additional $200.00 bonus for services rendered. However, to “test the integrity” of its workers, the company claims that it will be mailing a $2,800.00 check and asks that the “Mail Assistant” send the overpayment of $1,800.00 back to the company.
The check sent by the company in the amount of $2,800.00 is not legitimate. Once the check bounces at the “Mail Assistant’s” financial institution, the scammer then also has the “Mail Assistant’s” Checking Account information as well as other personal information that was obtained during the employment process, thereby making the “Mail Assistant” a fraud victim as well.
If you should receive an email offering an employment opportunity of this nature, please do not respond to the email. Instead, take action immediately by deleting the email. In addition, if you feel that a check or other negotiable instrument that you have received is suspicious in any way, please do not cash this item until you have spoken to an employee of the Credit Union.
“Pepsi Play For A Billion Contest” Counterfeit Check ScamIt has been reported that members are receiving checks made payable to the member accompanied by letters stating they are the Grand Prize Winner in the “Pepsi Play For A Billion Contest”. The checks being received are printed with the routing number 091906650, which is an outdated routing number for Rural American Bank. Rural American Bank has confirmed that in addition to the outdated routing number being used on these checks, the account number being used is invalid as well.
The Department of Banking and Finance (DBF) has become aware of an entity named FIRSTSTAR Credit Union advertising itself in Georgia as a lender and provider of financial services. The DBF has no record of this entity as a legitimate credit union and upon further inquiry, the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) has also indicated that there is no credit union federally chartered or authorized to conduct business under the name “FIRSTSTAR Credit Union”.In addition, on April 9, 2009, a Consumer Alert was issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Banking warning about an apparent advance loan fee scam under the name “First Star Lending Services” and “First Star Credit Union”. Also, on April 9, 2009, the Michigan Office of Financial and Insurance Regulation ordered an entity claiming to be a Pennsylvania based credit union by the name of “Firststar Credit Union” to cease and desist from doing business in the State of Michigan.The public is strongly cautioned against doing business with this unauthorized and possibly fraudulent entity.
If a credit union’s legitimacy is in question, a list of Georgia federally insured and state chartered credit unions can be found on the Department of Banking and Finance’s website https://dbfweb.dbf.state.ga.us/WebCUData.html.
