Craigslist Job Scam-Internet Solutions Corporation
*Note: Click here to read about the newest Craigslist Job Scam and for tips on protecting yourself.
Previously I had written about my car breaking down. Well that incident really set me back. Because I wasn’t able to continue to commute back and forth, I had to quit my job. Since then, I’ve working hard at finding an office job in my area which has not been easy. The town I live in is not that big. In fact, most of the people that live here commute to D.C. So the limited job availability coupled with the fact that whatever job I get must be accessible by the bus system has made the job hunt a bit of challenge.
So when I saw the following advertisement on Craigslist for my area, I thought I had lucked into something good.
Click image to get a larger view
However when I emailed the person for more information, I received the following form letter in reply:
Thank you for your interest in the Office Administrative Assistant
position. In order to get the most accurate information and to
expedite the hiring process, I have created my own online application.
Please complete, at the link below:http://blueribbonjobsearch.com/joboffer/register.cfm?jobpositionid=27058
Upon review, you will be contacted within a few days.
We are a strong supporter of education. Hence, if you are currently in
school or are interested in furthering your education, please indicate
so on your application.Thanks,
–
Shon Johnson
My first reaction was one of annoyance. If there was a special application they wanted me to fill out then why not post that information in the ad? It didn’t make any sense and I should have listened to my instincts. But of course I really need a job and despite this peculiar quirk, this seemed like a pretty good lead.
So I went to the site and was presented with this form:
Click image to get a larger view
I filled out the information and immediately regretted it when I clicked “Continue”. I was lead through a thinly veiled attempt to collect information for marketing purposes. I immediately cancelled out but realized that it was really too late for that. They already had my name, address, phone number and email address.
I tried not to worry about it but my worry increased when I went back to Craigslist and answered two different employment ads and was sent the same exact email. The only thing different was the email address I wrote to and the name of the person I had contacted. One email had a different web address in which to fill out the “Application”. This time instead of blueribbonjobsearch.com it was thecareerwizard.com.
I decided, then, to do a little detective work so see what I was up against. This led me to the Internet Solutions Corp Watch Website. The blog is filled with posts of all the domain names owned by the Internet Solution Corporation and there are links to information about the company such as this video on Youtube:
The video and other information I found on the internet has led me to believe that I had been lured into a phishing scam perpetuated by two men named Alec Defrawy and Alex Finch, the owners of Internet Solution Corporation. Phishing is what scammers do to collect personal information such as your name, address, email, passwords and even financial information. It is my opinion that Internet Solutions Corporation is using their numerous websites to collect information from applicants to resell to third parties. Based on information I have found on the internet, I do not believe that the jobs that they post exist. More worrisome, according to the video, some people have even been called in for interviews where even more personal information was collected and resold.
The situation is both frightening and disheartening. Especially as today I received the following automated response:
Our records indicate that you applied for the Office Administrative Assistant position at Blue Ribbon Job Search . We have received your application and feel you meet the initial requirements for the position. I would like to recommend you as a qualified candidate.
If you still have an interest in this position you may visit our website at: http://blue-ribbonjobsearch.com/careers2.aspx?email= &id=blueribbonjobsearch2nds06262008&jb=371006
When you open the application page you will be asked for a login id. Please use the following login to access the site:
Username: myemailaddress
Password: passwordWhen you login you will be asked to verify some information and some additional information from you to help in the final hiring decision. Once you complete this process your application will be forwarded for final review and you will be contacted directly.
Regards,
Sue Ann Merritt
Human ResourcesCareer Network, Inc.
P.O. Box 618305
Orlando, Florida 32861-8305
When I went to the address, it was an obvious attempt to confirm the information I had already provided to them as well as to harvest information about the people in my network in the form of personal references.
Based on information that I have read on the internet as well as my own experience and a one on one interaction with a “company representative” by the name of Alex Simon, I do not recommend that anyone do business with Internet Solutions Corporation, VeriResume or any of their “affiliate” websites such as thecareerwizard.com. I consider myself to be a pretty intelligent woman and I am embarrassed and angry at having been taken in by them.
The only advice that I can offer is to do your homework when applying for jobs advertised on the internet. One of the things that tipped me off is that each one of the advertisements for these jobs used Gmail addresses. That’s not to say that every business that uses Gmail is not trustworthy, only that you should be a little more cautious when replying to their ads.
Get as much information as possible about the job prospect before submitting any of your personal information to apply for it. If possible, get a phone number and address where you can actually talk to someone. If they don’t want to give you any of this information, walk away.
If something doesn’t feel right, go with your gut. If the person sends you to a web address to apply for a job, do a Google search on the website’s address and see what comes up. That’s how I was able to find information on the Internet Solution Corporation. I typed in thecareerwizard.com and was led to the Internet Solution Corporation Watch site. The one thing about scammers is that they always have leave a trail of victims and chances are good that, like me, someone has written about their experience to prevent others from being taken too.
If even one person is saved from being victimized by Internet Solutions Corporation, then I’ll consider this episode well worth the embarrassment. Be safe.
Additional Information
Taking the Bait On a Phish Scam – Washington Post
Looking for a job? Phishers are looking for you by the Washington Post
Better Business Bureau Report on Internet Solution Corporation
Something’s VeriRotten with VeriResume
Complaints regarding calls from VeriResume
List of domain names owned by Internet Solution Corporation
Criminal profile for Ayman El-Defrawi
Updates
I have received another email regarding a position I applied for. This time I was directed to connectioncareersnow.com. This is another domain owned by Internet Solution Corporation. Be on your toes.
Updates 04 July 08
A few days ago I received another letter telling me to apply online, this time at myemploymentspot.com. This company also goes by the name of VeriResume.
Additionally, I received an email from a Mr. Alex Simon threatening to sue me if I did not take this post down. I refused. I have edited the post to clearly indicate that this is my opinion based on my experience with this company and additional information from credible sources. You, as the reader, are free to make up your mind as to whether or not you wish to do business with them.
I will continue to update this post as more information regarding this company comes available.
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Craigslist Job Scam-Internet Solutions Corporation
113 Responses to “Craigslist Job Scam-Internet Solutions Corporation”
About Me
I am a writer, thinker, info junkie and entrepreneur. Life is a puzzle adventure and I'm on a mission to uncover all its hidden treasures. Come explore with me.
I am the founder and owner of Omnithinker Media, a collection of websites that provide information and tools to help you Live Delish and Create the Life You Want.
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"A man with no fear is a truly free man"
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I was led to Career Network via the Virginia Workforce Commission as I have recently been laid off. Now I am getting calls from online universities about continuing my education. What’s up with that and how do I let the VEC know that this company is posting ads with them.
[...] May 25, 2009 by Scrub There is a new comment on the post “Craigslist Job Scam-Internet Solutions Corporation”. http://www.arwentaylor.com/craigslist-job-scam-internet-solutions-corporation/ [...]
Dear Ann Anderson, I have found several of your rants on blogs and boards. While agreeing to most of it, you keep making the same confusing mistake over and over again. Even when sometimes the fact was pointed out to you, and they were absolutely right about it. According to what can be found on the Internet about both of them, the Alex Simon from Las Vegas definitely is not the same as Difrawi, who used that name as an alias (perhaps to create this kind of confusion, too).
Thank you for posting this…This was the first time I ever fell for a scam. I was on the Norfolk, VA craigslist and inquired about a job called “Host/Hostess”. I should have know the compensation ($10/hr) was too good to be true. I entered all my information (except for house number and phone number) and was taken to a “get quick rich” internet scam of some sort. I e-mailed the woman who posted it and alerted her that I would be reporting her, and flagged the listing. I was eventually pointed to a site called “http://www.powerapplications.com/” where I was supposed to confirm my information.
i got contacted my greatemployeeswanted that uses career-network.com. i have applied for maybe 4 jobs but i started getting suspicious because i kept getting the same type of emails. after finally doing some research, which i should of done from the begning, im worried that my information is going to be misused. thanks for sharing your story.
Thank you for your very informational and useful article!
If I hadn’t googled same email, I would probably would have ended on scammers!
Thanks again!
ABv
I have had the same experience! Beware to anyone living in the Central Florida area and jobs posted for Three Stars Marketing. This is the same company that runs Career Networks and all the other sites. I actually went to the office for a “job interview”. It was a total sham. I was solicited to work some pyramid scheme virtual mall site as a part time opportunity. I wasted my time driving 100 miles round trip and my money. As a single mother fresh out of college, this as been an eye opening experience.
Hello. I was recently employed by threestarsinc.com. As I went through the training, I felt like it was a legitimate job. However, once I got home, I started to rethink averything, and realized it is just a scam. I have the passwords to all the systems and would love to have a newschannel watch how we are trained to get information. Please let me know if there is a place a can contact.
All I have to say is thank you!
Please look at this report on these people. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hfuC7IbVdE
I have filed a complaint with the FTC myself because as someone unemployed, I was angry of the mere fact that these folks are using fake jobs ads in order to be able to call and offer school admission. I was contacted by several of there reps and would not answer the phone at first. They called again and I finally pick up the phone and it was a male rep, he did his pitch and said you signed up for information about going to school and we can help you find a school, I told the guy that I was unemployed. He said well that’s ok because you can still register for school. I said no you can’t not when you’re on unemployment. He said sure you can. I told him why would you call people and lie like that because you can’t be on unemployment and go to school without there permission I told him to take me off his list and hang up. I looked up this attorney that sends people these letters because on one of them it shows his bar number but the Florida bar website was down. I can’t believe that an attorney would represent these people and try to use his law practice to threaten people over his client that is clearly defrauding and misleading folks by posting false job ads. Where is this attorney ethics? Because if he thinks his right in representing these people he is clearly use the law unethically. I’m glad to see to that people are taking action.
My story is not unique: I applied for what appeared to be a legitimate position listed on Craigslist which turned out to be completely phony. I could tell my entire story here, but it’s basically the same as everyone else’s who has commented. I will say that I was suspicious as soon as I was instructed to fill out the online “application” at powerapplications.com, as it appeared very skimpy and unprofessional, but I had just moved to different part of the country and everything is different, so I felt that following instructions was probably my best option. There were many other suspicious things about the whole process, but here I am starting a new life in a new setting, so I was not as critical of any of these as I might normally have been. Here I am, a month and a half later, uncovering one of the biggest scams I’ve encountered in my life. I am not entirely surprised, and yet there is still an element of complete dismay. I wasted over a month applying to jobs that don’t even exist. A lot of people feel like idiots for having been duped, but people in the vulnerable position of being unemployed are not questioning whether or not each job is a scam. They just want to get back into the groove of working and get on with life, and that is a perfectly reasonable goal. These “fake” job postings appear VERY real. Most of them offer generous wages and full benefits, which is probably their least believable aspect in today’s economy. Most people desperate to get back on their feet are not going to bypass such an opportunity without examining it. I am no exception. I am usually great at spotting scams, but this one is something else entirely. I am the person that friends and family will ask, if they this something is a scam, but now the shoe is on the other foot.
I do feel a bit of disgust that I gave my phone number and professional contacts to someone who is not a legitimate outfit. The good part in of all this, however, is that the amount of spam I have received has been very minimal. Thank GOD my phone doesn’t receive text messages. I resisted all sales pitches with typical stubbornness, and didn’t give out my social security number or consent to the credit check they had requested. And now I can go forth and inform all my friends NEVER to use powerapplcations.com or any of its affiliates.
Good luck to everyone. I know it’s rough out there.
I just received an email about a job application I located via Indeed.com, a warehouse position. It’s exactly as your blog stated! How do they get away with this crap? I started searching with Google, using the email address from JOBSMATCHNOW, and several if not many complaint sites came up about the these (2) guys, and another one named Ralph Edward Bell. Even a you tube video from a news sources in Orlando, FL. AND, with the address you listed above as well, P.O. Box 618305
Orlando, Florida 32861-8305 – thanks for the info, I would love to buy you a cup of coffee, but I’m just not comfortable with giving out any credit card, pay pal info, sorry. It’s sad, this type of BS ruins it for everyone.
The reason I am posting my message is because I just wanted readers to know that I was talking to a recruiting agent the other day about my awful experience with Three Stars Media. The recruiter told me that he had a friend working for Three Stars Media (I told him I was disappointed about it). He told me that the employee knew about Channel 9 interviewing Alec in regards to the complaints by candidates and about his shady criminal past. The employee did say she also knew that there were scams going on in the company but could not quit because she really needed the job and it paid well. I understand her reasoning but do not agree with her sticking around while hurting those her were seriously looking for employment. I can only praise the woman who came forward and told the truth to Channel 9 news. She worked there but left and told the news viewers that “it made her sick to her stomach” and since she had a conscience, she wanted to warn the public.