4:06 p.m., March 16, 2011----University of Delaware Police are alerting students, staff, and the public to be aware of a recent Internet scam that was advertised on a UD website.

THIS STORY

E-mail

Print

Twitter

The phishing scam/secret shopper fraud appeared on the Career Services Center's website as a job opportunity. The fraudulent ad for an office assistant/front desk position for CARA Operations Ltd., and Deer Park Company has been removed by UD Career Services administrators, but new, similar ads were discovered subsequently for positions available with Centospheer Arts Co. and Coastal Trade Securities. The Career Services Center is carefully monitoring its website to prevent future postings of the scam.

Here's how the scam works. When someone responds to the ad, the sales representative says he is a salesperson for catering supplies for airlines and large businesses. The fraudulent sales representative communicates via email and may use the names Brian Choe, Vernon Boozer, Frederick Miller, Saheed Adisa, and Anaid Cisneros.

In the scam, the job position requires the victim to receive checks via a FedEx package and then deposit the checks in his or her personal bank account. The victim is then supposed to withdraw the funds, keep 20 percent for salary, and then send the cash funds by Western Union to a name and city sent via email. The checks are counterfeit, and the electronic addresses and telephone numbers are fraudulent, as are the return addresses on the FedEx packages.

Respondents to this scam are liable for any funds withdrawn on the counterfeit checks, and the banks involved are persistent in holding these persons financially liable.

Prior investigations in these types of scams have led to suspects in foreign countries using stolen/forged bank account/routing numbers.

FedEx security/fraud investigators state that their company investigates this type of scam on a daily basis, and that it costs them millions of dollars yearly in lost revenue.

Anyone who thinks they may have been victimized should contact University of Delaware Police at (302) 831-2222.