Beware of Fraudulent Money Making Offers on Internet

If you are looking for  ways to to earn extra money in these turbulent financial times look no farther than Craigslist and othIer online job centres -- but use discretion when considering them.

One  advertisement I personally responded to because it asked for somebody with the experience and skills to investigate customer in the retail outlets for the clients of one STARPOINT TRADING INC.  According to the job offer I would  carry out an intensive mystery shopping project and right detailed reports for these companies.

For this I would be paid $400.00 per report.

This, of course is far more than the typical mystery shopper would earn. But from the advertisement it appeared that these assignments required much more work including a detailed, investigative analysis  and report at the end of each investigation -- something I could provide for this company quite easily with my years as an investigative reporter so I responded to the add by sending in my resume.

Within a day this company responded by accepting me as one of their investigators and telling me I would be paid the $400.00 at the end of each assignment without delay.

I had misgivings about this company from the beginning, however, and they soon appeared to be well-founded.. First of all I received another e-mail from this trading company saying  I would start with a relatively easy assignment and be paid for it. But the representative of STARPOINT now told me that once I received my payment I was to deduct my money from the amount of the cheque and send the balance to their company.

Next I received a cheque for $1800.00 before I had even done any work for this company and then another e-mail again instructing me to cash the cheque,  keep $400.00 and send  the balance to their representative in Cyprus.

This job offer was nothing more than an  enticement to get involved in fraud. These e-mails, the receipt of the cheque with remittance instructions and evidence we had gained in the meantime from  the owner of the company who supposedly paid us proved it.

The  person who supposedly signed the cheque made out to me said right away that the cheque was fraudulent and she had never made it out or signed it. According to her she has been plagued by these fraudulent cheques by somebody who had gotten hold of her banking information.

So while there are many good employment and other offers on Craigslist who do have to use discretion and not get carried away by the apparent opportunity to earn some good money.