Marks Travel Agency

Hi

I got forwarded an email from a friend abroad who is seeking work in the UK. Apparently she has been accepted for a job but has now been referred to the agent in the subject title to process the necessary visa etc documents. Also included in the e-mail is the supposed agent's website.

Browsing the website there seems to be a few things which makes it look like a scam. It's supposed to be a London based company and certain wording like "HAVE YOU EVER BEEN CAUGHT FOR A CRIMINAL OFFENSE/ACT?" just isn't English and OFFENSE is obviously American spelling. Contact is via yahoo mail. The telephone number appears to be mobile phone number. The subject title changes to "Marks Travel Management" on another page. Also when I do a google search nothing comes up. All in all the grammar used on the site seems most unprofessional for a company supposedly celebrating its 22nd year.

Anyway, here's the forwarded e-mail inclusive of web address. I look forward to your thoughts. Thanks in advance.

Marks Travel Agency
PLATFORM 12,PADDINGTON STATION,
LONDON, W2 1HA,
UNITED KINGDOM.
Tel: +447024046811
www.markstravelagency.synthasite.com

Type: Electronic Visa Processing (EVP)

Our Office has received your mail :

Marks Travel Management wishes to thank you for contacting us regarding the arrangement of your Traveling Documents to the
U.K. We promise to Offer you the best.

You will be needing a UK NON-SETTLEMENT(WORKING)Visa and work permit to be able to work in the United Kingdom, we assure you
of getting one under 12 working days once you comply with our instruction. To proceed, Do get back to us with the details
below in order to hasten your job opportunity here in the UK.

Here are the details needed from you:

*SCANNED COPY OF YOUR INTERNATIONAL PASSPORT(RECEIVED)
*SCANNED WORK CONTRACT
*SCANNED PASSPORT PHOTOGRAPH.
*SCANNED BIRTH CERTIFICATE

Also Kindly answer the questions below and get back to us ASAP:

1-HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TO THE UK BEFORE?
2-IF YES,HAVE YOU EVER BEEN DEPORTED FROM THE UK BY THE UK GOVERNMENT?
3-HAVE YOU EVER BEEN CAUGHT FOR A CRIMINAL OFFENSE/ACT?
4- MARITAL STATUS?
5- OCCUPATION?
6- NATIONALITY?
7-CONTACT TELEPHONE NUMBER
8-AGE (DATE OF BIRTH)

Also,the only Document we would be needing from you is Your Scanned International Passport,Scanned Passport Photograph.Other
pertinent Document such as Bank Statement of Account,Invitation Letter,Reference Letter and Tax Clearance would be provided
by your Employer here.

All Documents will be processed and arranged here in our Office after which it would be forwarded to the British High
Commission in your country excluding your Flight Ticket. Also,some Copies of this Document(s) will also be sent to you
We will begin in earnest once we receive all necessary Details.
OUTLINED BELOW ARE THE COST FOR THESE SERVICES:

1. PROCUREMENT OF WORKING PERMIT £600
2. PROCUREMENT OF MEDICAL INSURANCE AND NATIONAL IDENTIFICATION NUMBER £350
3. PROCUREMENT OF UK NON-SETTLEMENT VISA £600
TOTAL CHARGES £1550

ALL DOCUMENT COULD BE SENT VIA EMAIL (SCANNING) AND OUR LINE IS OPEN FOR CALLS 24 HOURS.

In anticipation of your response.
Yours Faithfully,
Anthony Sherwood
Marks Travel Agency

From first look it is definitely a scam. It's a job/visa scam.
Tell your friend to get out now and never send any money.

I will look for some decent evidence, but everything about this screams scam.

What country is your friend from and what kind of job are they hoping to get. Are they skilled labour or educated?

Whatever it is, I'm pretty sure it would be best to go through the UK border agency, rather than some third party site which charges you quit a lot.

We have the NHS, which means we don't need medical insurance, we don't have national identification numbers. We do have national insurance numbers, but you get those when you start working and need to go to an interview. A work permit will not cost £600 either.

Someone who knows this scam a bit better than me will be along shortly

It certainly looks like scam to me but the valid looking mailing address and the certain amount of effort (albeit unprofessional) put into the website did leave me wanting a 2nd opinion.

From first look it is definitely a scam. It's a job/visa scam.
Tell your friend to get out now and never send any money.

I will look for some decent evidence, but everything about this screams scam.

What country is your friend from and what kind of job are they hoping to get. Are they skilled labour or educated?

Whatever it is, I'm pretty sure it would be best to go through the UK border agency, rather than some third party site which charges you quit a lot.

We have the NHS, which means we don't need medical insurance, we don't have national identification numbers. We do have national insurance numbers, but you get those when you start working and need to go to an interview. A work permit will not cost £600 either.

Someone who knows this scam a bit better than me will be along shortly

The friend is from Philippines and the job application is supposed to be for Nursing of some sort but private and not NHS. I also pointed out the ID number to her. I've told her to ignore it as almost certainly a scam but now I can also point her to this thread so she can see for herself.

She should check out this site: http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/workingintheuk/

She will need a visa to enter or work in the UK, her local bristish embassy will be able to help her there too, see: http://ukinthephilippines.fco.gov.uk/en/

Thanks for useful links.

Hi, I_smell_a_rat, and welcome to ScamWarners!:D

In addition to the research Neudonym will be doing (and you can be sure it will be thorough), you may want to notice the phone number that begins 4470. That is a "redirect" number, which can be forwarded to anywhere in the world. The person being called could be in the UK, the USA, Africa, eastern Europe, or even the Philippines.

Good for you for spotting this. You are indeed a good friend.

Oh, thanks for pointing that out, I just thought it was a mobile number Now it looks even clearer as a scam.

Well I have some more info on this now.

The original source appears to be [email protected]

Google search

Here's one of his ads which can be found here

SEEKING FOR AN ASIAN NANNY.
Hello, I am Alex C,a Widower for Four years.Sorry i have to contact you this way,i registered here to search for a nanny.I reside in London,UK with my two beautiful kids and am seeking for the services of an Asian nanny to come and work for me in the U.K. I am willing to offer Eight Hundred and Fifty pounds sterling per week and will provide monthly shopping allowances as well as accommodation.If interested do reply to my email at [email protected] Thanks. Alex..
Email: [email protected](09/08/08 )

Here's the latest reply from Alex

Date: Mon, 20 Oct 2008 06:29:36 -0700
From: [email protected]
Subject: RE: ***AS REGARDS YOUR WORKING VISA APPLICATION TO THE UK***

Hello,

Greetings to you.I received your message .To be honest,i should not be paying
any of the visa fees due to my past experiences but because you sound sincere
and serious that is why i intend paying half of the fees so you could pay the
other half to be sure of your commitment.
The best i could do for you is to shoulder 50% of the Visa fees and you pay for
the 50% left.If you are willing to do this do let me know and if not am sorry i
would be left with no choice but to move on. Hope am being
human enough.contact the travel agency, and get back to me okay.
So have a wonderful week ahead and i wait to hear from you.
Mr Alex.




Subject: RE: ***AS REGARDS YOUR WORKING VISA APPLICATION TO THE UK***
To: [email protected]
Date: Monday, October 20, 2008, 8:19 AM


Dear Mr.Alex Cole,

Good day ! I would like to inform you that the agency you referred to me on your employment offer already responded.
See below details ..

In as much as I am so much interested with your job offer ,I cannot afford the amount stated in it ,especially now that my mother is schedule for two operations .I was the one who has been supporting her financially eversince.


Please tell me what will be my direction now .

Thanks for helping .

Just to add, apparently it's a friend of a friend who is being scammed, hence some discrepancy with my earlier post saying she was after a Nursing job.

Here's another of his adverts which can be found Here and also includes IP Address (Lagos, Nigeria)

Reply #118 Alex Cole (82.128.32.98 ) - Mon Aug 11 03:09:24 2008


Hello,
Permit me to Introduce myself, i am Alex Cole , a widow for Four years.Sorry i

have to contact you this way, i registered on this Dating site to search for an

Asian Woman to serve as My beautiful Kids Nanny.My former nanny was Asian and

she served us well. I reside in London, UK with my two beautiful Kids of ages 7 and 9 years and am

seeking for the services of an Asian nanny to come and work for me in the

U.K.Their mom is Late and its such an heavy task taking care of the kids alone

besides i would be traveling for a project soon. Also i would be needing an Asian Man to come work for me as My Driver/Assistant. I am willing to offer Eight Hundred and Fifty pounds sterling per week for

Nanny and Driver Position each and will provide monthly shopping allowances as

well as accommodation. If interested do reply to my email at [email protected] and i would send

you more details of the job.

Thanks.

Mr Cole

One more, this time he's in America but resides in UK Here There's also a pic of "his" 2 kids which I wont upload here

ID : 13589
Name : Alex Cole
E-mail :[email protected]
Address : 77 kings street - broxn - 10456 - united state
Post : Hello, Permit me to Introduce myself,i am Alex Cole ,a widow for Four years.Sorry i have to contact you this way,i registered on this Dating site to search for an Asian Woman to serve as My beautiful Kids Nanny.My former nanny was Asian and she served us well. I reside in London,UK with my two beautiful Kids of ages 7 and 9 years and am seeking for the services of an Asian nanny to come and work for me in the U.K.Their mom is Late and its such an heavy task taking care of the kids alone besides i would be traveling for a project soon. Also i would be needing an Asian Man to come work for me as My Driver/Assistant. I am willing to offer Eight Hundred and Fifty pounds sterling per week for Nanny and Driver Position each and will provide monthly shopping allowances as well as accommodation. If interested do reply to my email at [email protected] and i would send you more details of the job. Thanks. Mr Cole
Tel, Mobile or Fax : 7846573645
Image :

Hello I-Smell;

As the members above have said, this guy is definitely a scammer. I've seen some of that text before, possibly even posted it in here more than once. I haven't contacted this guy personally, but the odds of him not being a fraud artist are somewhere between zero and nil.

You were right to suspect this one. Hopefully your friend has seen the light and not given out any personal information or cold hard cash.

Hi, rat smeller

The last email address you posted is used in a few different employment scams, you can see a selection of them in This search result on the email address

The phone number also gets a hit if you search on it click here to see that one, Kidde Club Classifieds looks interesting, it's a free clasifieds add so right up a scammers alley, I wouldn't mind betting there would be heaps of scam adds in there

Obi, I am not saying a word

Hello I-Smell

Definitely a scammer, that's the same alex who sent me the same message. I marked his message spam in the free dating site and asked some women if they received same message. Someone replied that she did and she marked it spam too..

I also googled him and found out his IP address indicates he's in the US while claiming that he is in London. I want to be sure that he's a scammer and so I asked him to send me details of the job and a contract, and he did! The contract was not really a contract, it was just some rules and duties copied maybe from the internet ..

To everyone who received the message from this guy, block him and report him to the dating sites where he registered..

Hi watcher,

Although I could be wrong I doubt he is in the US, if you could post his header I will check it out for you, it is more likely he is in Africa