classified ads data entry jobs scam

Job seekers responding to classified ads or postings on Internet job sites have become a favorite target for scammers. The results can be not only financial loss, but possible criminal charges and the legal expenses associated with defending against them.
Ellen had posted her resume on CareerBuilder.com and was pleased when she was contacted by someone who said he was with a charity called Children in Crisis, which is a real organization based in London.

"I was told it was a clerical job, and that I would be doing data entry and processing payments," Ellen told ConsumerAffairs.com.


AS A part-time student, Ellen, 21, wanted to earn some pocket money. She saw an advertisement asking people to assemble electronic gadgets at home. She thought it would be an honest job that would give her the flexibility of working from home.

She dialled the number and a man answered. He told her to send a postal order worth US$70 if she wanted the job. Upon receipt of payment, she was promised the parts would be mailed to her within five to seven days. The naive lass sent the money and waited. And waited.

“After three weeks of my calling him, he finally said the products would arrive soon. Eventually, he stopped answering my calls. Then one day, I called and found out the number had been disconnected,” relates Mogana.

She tried to track the company down but all she had was a post office box number. She complained to CAP but could not recover her money as the man and his company had vanished.

A few months later, still hunting for a part-time job, Mogana chanced upon another advertisement in the papers. This time the advertisement read, “Looking for data entry clerks, experienced not necessary, minimum SPM, call for interview”. She called and ended up in a dingy office in the city, where a “consultant” awaited her. This consultant told her the job was available but she had to pay RM139. What for? she enquired.

“So that we can send your resume to the company and they can do the paperwork for you. In a week, you can start work,” he answered. Mogana didn’t suspect anything was amiss and paid up.

Months later, she still hadn’t heard anything. All her calls went unanswered. She finally gave up. Luckily, through a recommendation, she found a job at a factory.

“I’ve been cheated twice so I don’t bother to read the advertisements again. I really can’t blame anyone because it was my fault. But, I’d like to advise others to do a background check on the company before they decide to send money or start the business,” she says.

Engineer T.H.Wong, 47, wanted some extra income to save for his children’s education. He came across an advertisement in an English daily to assemble products. Thinking it would also be good weekend family activity, Wong responded and was sent a flyer.

“I had to pay RM85 for member registration and the job was to assemble remote control toys. In addition, there were some legal fees to be paid, etc. The entire amount came up to RM345,” recalls Wong, who decided to give it a try. Within a week, he got his first “product”. When he saw the kit, he was unhappy as the assembling proved difficult. He sought a refund.

He called the number and spoke to an “agent” who claimed the company had offices all over the country and the products were from Taiwan. When Wong asked the names and numbers of these offices, the man refused to divulge the details.

Numerous calls to the “agent” subsequently failed. When he did a background check, Wong discovered the company did not exist.

Okay, I confess. Yours truly was a victim too. When I was a struggling student in the United States, every penny counted so I often scoured the local papers for part-time work. I saw an advertisement which offered US$2 (RM7.20) for every envelope stuffed with their flyers. The envelopes would already be addressed with postage affixed. All I had to do was send a SASE (self-addressed stamp and envelope) along with US$20 (RM72) for more information and US$2 for shipping and handling to the address.

No harm in trying, I thought so I parted with my US$22

My package arrived with a five-page manual on another money-making venture – how money could be obtained by surfing the net for articles on construction companies.

I was expected to photocopy the last page of the manual and distribute to as many people as possible. My flyer would read, “Make money surfing the web! Send an SASE with US$20 for more information and US$2 for shipping and handling to (my address).”

Clever, isn’t it?

It had nothing to do with surfing the Net. I would get US$22 from every person who responded. There was no product or business whatsoever. Infuriated and embarrassed that I had been duped, I trashed the manual. After that, I did waittressing and babysitting to earn my dough!