Fraud Alert - Working from home scams/Financial Intermediatories

18.04.2006

Working from home scams

There have been working from home type scams circulating for some time, but as the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 has become an effective policing tool against people moving fraudulently obtained funds around the globe, the fraudsters, to minimise the risk of detection in an effort to conceal the identity of the funds are increasingly seeking to involve people in the handling of these funds through a lucrative offer of working part time from your own home for bogus overseas companies.

The offer is made by the fraudsters in a spam email offering you the chance of acting as a company rep for the fraudster’s non-existent company. The work involves you using your address and bank account to collect and forward money overseas into the fraudster’s bank account, normally by wire transfer. The money you will be receiving is from the gangs fraudulent activity and will involve funds being laundering around the world using your and others accounts to legitimise their criminal proceeds. If the stolen proceeds are traced to your account, you are liable to have your funds frozen and any balance sent back to the original account holder’s bank by your bank.

But it can also involve you being sent stolen or more often forged cheques to put through your account. Once you have paid the cheque into your account you are requested to send the remained, after taking a percentage for your services, often by money transfer to the fraudster. The banks often only discover the stolen or forged cheque after you have sent the funds off to the fraudster via money transfer. Once the bank knows you have paid a stolen/forged cheque into your account will have the original credit reversed and you will suffer the financial loss, often involving several thousand pounds.

You need to be aware, not only do you put yourself at risk of losing financially, having your credit rating effected, that you are likely to be arrested for money laundering and could also face a long term of imprisonment (maximum sentence is 14 years) upon conviction, as the monies you will be handling are likely to be the proceeds of crime. Do not to fall for this chance of earning easy money, as such opportunities are rarely encountered. Remember if ‘It sounds to good to be true, it is.’

Example email:

From: anface thundercloud [mailto:490cowan@yahoo.com]
Sent: den 4 mars 2006 10:40
To: anyone@bestinternet.com
Subject: Job in UK

European company needs a financial representative in the UK.
Half-time job.
You don't need special knowledge.
Good carreer opportunities.
The candidate must be over then 23.
Payment by check.
3000-4000 pounds per month+bonuses.
Please send me your resume to uk@euroempereals.net and you will get all the
details.

Contact Us

If you believe you might be being set up as a target for fraud or if you are an investigator and you think you might be dealing with this type of activity then please contact the SCD6 Economic and Specialist Crime OCU at the address or by e-mail.