Beware The Scandinavian Employment Scam

West Mercia Police's Economic Crime Unit is asking members of the public to be aware of an internet-based employment scam that purports to offer employment through Scandinavian companies. 

Contact is made by email and it states that the company is looking for representatives in ‘your' area to carry out ‘online' work, and promises monthly wages plus attractive commission.

The potential ‘employee' will be asked to complete an employment agreement, which includes personal details, and to forward a scanned image of the form along with a copy of a Driving Licence or Passport either by email or fax.

The next stage is that the ‘employee' will be advised that the company is looking for someone to process payments for them by receiving money into their own bank and that a portion of that money may be kept for commission.  The remainder should be sent to their ‘customers' abroad, through a money transfer agent.

Those who enter into such an agreement will receive cheques that are forgeries and be asked to pay them into their own account and to then draw on the funds immediately.  On occasions the bank does not immediately identified the cheques as forgeries and so clear, allowing the money to be drawn.  However, when the forgery is subsequently discovered the account holder is liable for the debt.

Robin Longmore, from the Economic Crime Unit at West Mercia Police, said: "This type of scam is extremely difficult to investigate as the fraudsters could be anywhere in the world.

"Caution should be taken by anyone offered such a job opportunity, especially when it is unsolicited. Just because you have been contacted by someone using a company's details, which may actually be a legitimate firm, this does not mean the person making contact is a true representative of that company.

"We advise you to do some research to make sure the company is legitimate, which can be found out quite quickly by doing an internet search. If it is a real company, get in touch with them to confirm that the person who is contacting you is their representative."

Issued: Friday 6 August 2010