Thursday, November 13, 2008
The KU Public Safety Office is investigating a fraudulent classified advertisement that could leave job seekers responsible for bad checks and onerous debt.
The ad, which appeared in The University Daily Kansan, encourages readers to respond to an e-mail address.
“We need a cashier and receptionist urgently,” the ad reads. Similar ads can also be found on several employment Web sites.
When a Kansan reporter responded to the advertisement to investigate it, he received a response from an individual identified as “Debbie Mann, Recruitment Manager for Owo Trading Store.”
The e-mail describes Owo Trading Store as “a diversified equipment project services company.” The e-mail claims that the company introduced itself to the U.S. market in 2007, and has “Had Hiccups receiving Check Payments made by our Customers.”
The e-mail asks for personal information including name, address and telephone numbers.
Although the reporter stopped at this point in the process, the next step described in the e-mail involved receiving checks or money orders from the Owo Trading Company. The e-mail instructs the victim to cash the checks using a personal bank account, and remit 90 percent of the amount to the organizer of the scam, while keeping 10 percent.
The problem is that the checks used in such arrangements are typically bad checks. When the bank notifies the victim that the check has bounced, he or she is then liable for the full amount of the deposit — including the 90 percent that has been sent to the organizer of the scam.
Danielle Rittenhouse, Philadelphia senior and classifieds manager for The Kansan, said that her staff tried to be thorough about preventing fraudulent ads from appearing in the paper in the first place. However, with new students joining the staff each semester, some lessons have to be learned the hard way.
“It’s the kind of thing that comes with experience,” said Rittenhouse, who noted that some scams appeared perfectly legitimate, creating an area that could be difficult for new staff to navigate.
Rittenhouse said that her staff used a series of precautionary measures that helped to screen out the majority of fraudulent ads. Individuals wishing to place an ad must speak with a member of Rittenhouse’s staff over the phone or in person. The staff must have a full name and address on file with the staff, and credit card numbers are never accepted via e-mail or fax.
Rittenhouse said that ads placed by e-mail were generally avoided and were “a big red flag.”
“We do our best to keep a wary eye toward fraud,” Rittenhouse said. “But it’s the customer’s responsibility to protect themselves. We do our best to protect the students, but things fall through the cracks.”
— - Edited by Jennifer Torline
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