Korean Job Discussion Forums

OneWayTraffic · Joined: 14 Mar 2005

I got a strange email this morning. It's suspicious because my name isn't mentioned anywhere and the senders sent it to me as a BCC. I've cut and pasted it out here with personal details removed.

Paji eh Wong · Joined: 03 Jun 2003

RACETRAITOR · Joined: 24 Oct 2005 Location: Seoul, South Korea

Snowmeow · Joined: 03 Oct 2005 Location: pc room

It's funny, it says you would have weekends off, and then continues to say "weekends with us is very fun" as if you would be spending every minute with them regardless. It's almost like working for Wonderland.

rothkowitz · Joined: 27 Apr 2006

Show their family photo

kermo · Posted: Sun Oct 01, 2006 7:29 pm Post subject:

If it is a scam (which is certainly possible) it will probably involve you buying things in advance, to be "reimbursed later."

It seems strange that they would want to import an English teacher since Nigeria was colonized by Britain and has plenty of very competent speakers, albeit with a distinct accent.

Rteacher · Joined: 23 May 2005 Location: Western MA, USA

I was told by an American embassy official (a few years ago when I mentioned a particular letter I'd gotton from the Ivory Coast...) that several people who've responded to such scams were actually lured into going to Africa and were never heard from again ... Shocked

dogbert · Joined: 29 Jan 2003 Location: Killbox 90210

happeningthang · Joined: 26 Apr 2003

Sounds like some of the scammers have been observing ESL teachers in Hae Bang Cheon with dollar signs in their eyes.

The scam will be along the lines of...

My brother in law is President Thaksin recently deposed leader of Thailand, we need someone to help us take 600 billion, thousandy dollar-a-doos out of Bangok... please provide passport, bank account and birth certificate.

It's just another ruse to get account numbers and documents for identity theft and backdoor access to your cash.

billybrobby · Joined: 09 Dec 2004

It's without a doubt a scam. I agree you should post the email and we can all write the guy and have him scrambling around answer mail and doing this and that and not getting a cent.

ShaneM · Joined: 03 Feb 2005

Its a scam...the same post with a different name appears on the Work/Play website.

OneWayTraffic · Joined: 14 Mar 2005

PM me for the photos and or the email address.

Of course I have my doubts, but I still can't figure out what the scam is. White slavery?

ETA... Ahh Identity theft. Makes sense. I sent an email this am asking how he got my email, and he said WorknPlay. I have my resume online there along with full contact details. I haven't 'topped' it in ages though.
They said they'll help me with the travel arrangements and that would give them my bank accounts and ID of course.

OK now I know it's a scam as opposed to merely suspecting. I needed to know motive.

Funny the guy seemed awful eager to employ me. Never wanted references.

mindmetoo · Joined: 02 Feb 2004

Most nigerian scams break down to the "advanced fee fraud" variety. They dangle some glittering prize and then try and get you to pay some kind of administrative cost. If this is a scam, you'll probably be asked to pay in advance for various things... airfare, apartment security deposit, etc. It's an unusual form of the Nigerian scam. I've not seen this before but I agree anything that's connected to Nigeria and comes out of the blue is probably best relegated to the "too good to be true" dumpster.

huffdaddy · Joined: 25 Nov 2005

Another common scam is to send a cashier's check which you then deposit and send a potion of the proceeds back to the sender. The cashier's check then fails to clear (yes, they need to clear) while you're out the money you sent. I'm guessing this involves something similar e.g. they send a cashier's check advance which you then wire a portion of to pay for the airplane ticket.

Hyeon Een · Joined: 24 Jun 2005

If I was Nigerian trying to rip people off I'd pretend I was from Venezuela or Iraq or Cuba or the USA or some other banana republic.