SCAM or no? Seems pretty legit

This is the email I got after responding to a job on Monster.com. Also included two docs int he email and the website and phone number of the company. I also included the employment application and contract

http://courieralternative.com/
(800) 571-4089

application.doc
contract.pdf

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Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2013 09:40:37 -0700
From: Recruitment department <[email protected]>
Reply-To: Recruitment department <[email protected]>
Organization: Courier Alternative
X-Priority: 3 (Normal)
Message-ID: <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Subject: Response to your job inquiry
MIME-Version: 1.0

------------0BD1C7101054A88A1
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1251
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Hello Acanfield,

We are pleased to know that you are fascinated to fill our post. This docum=
ent will give you details about the company as well as the vacancy. The job=
details and a short company background will be discussed as you read furth=
er.

THE COMPANY

Courier Alternative gives way for clients all over the world to make purcha=
ses in any online store based in the US. As you might know, many online sel=
lers at Amazon or Ebay as well as stores such as Walmart do not cover overs=
eas delivery. Our business is to help all shoppers fulfill their shopping n=
eeds by sending their purchases right at their doorstep, wherever they are =
in the world.
The company seeks to provide faster and high quality services through innov=
ations. We are not just any other mail forwarding services because we get t=
he client=92s interest at top priority. We apply a highly effective cloud b=
ased platform to allow customers to monitor all their processes online. Fur=
thermore, we have an efficient approach to warehouse operations and HR mana=
gement functions. We also have our remote employee department which allows =
us to diversify our reach to different states. This approach makes us more =
competitive by getting workers in different locations and cutting down expe=
nses.
We are currently expanding our service reach and operations by hiring more =
remote employees in different sites. This is your chance to be a part of ou=
r company. Our business model can help you take advantage of the single fac=
t that you are living in the USA.

THE POSITION

Your job will be to receive different packages from the largest carriers li=
ke FedEx, UPS, and USPS. The items will be sent to your address and you wil=
l need to forward these parcels to our respective customers. You will see t=
he full list of incoming shipments, prepaid shipping labels for download, p=
aperwork, and instructions at your online account. When the goods arrive, y=
ou will need to inspect the items, take photographs of what=92s inside the =
parcels and upload these photos to your online account. You are free to use=
any digital camera. You will also need a printer to print the shipping lab=
els.
You are required to have a strong sense of commitment and discipline. Furth=
ermore, you are obliged to stay at home to receive packages during the work=
ing hours, Monday to Fridays 9 in the morning to 5 in the afternoon. In rar=
e instances, you will need to be readily available during weekends too.
As a full-time remote employee you earn with us $18,000 per annum. For this=
salary you will have to process up to 30 pieces of mail per month. If you =
have more orders, we will pay you bonus of $40 per each additional package =
you process. We pay twice per month to your bank or prepaid card account or=
via check. You will have to stay at home during the business hours, but th=
e actual workload will not exceed 3 hours per day.=20
We care about your safety. All of our clients undergo a thorough verificati=
on process to avoid any criminal activity. Most of the time, the items you =
will receive include electronics, clothing, auto parts and sporting goods.=
=20

HOW TO PROCEED

1. Fill out the application form attached to this message and send it back =
to us as soon as possible. Include valid references.
2. Read and understand the draft employment contract.
3. Be prepared for an interview via phone call anytime after your applicati=
on is sent.=20
4. Find the link to our website in the application and get to know your way=
around the company and the core principles we follow.
5. Sell yourself to us by highlighting your key characteristics that will m=
ake us hire you.

--
Best regards,
Emily Chiu,
Recruitment department,
Courier Alternative, LLC.

SCAM.

You would be reshipping merchandise purchased with stolen credit cards. It is a crime, and could land you in jail for a nice long time.

Legitimate reshipping companies use a physical location to receive and send packages and their employees physically report to work on site.. They do NOT use remote employees, period.

Domain name: COURIERALTERNATIVE.COM

Created On: 1/16/2013 3:04:32 PM
Expires On: 1/16/2014 3:04:32 PM
Last Updated On: 1/16/2013 3:04:32 PM

Registrant:
COURIER ALTERNATIVE LLC
COURIER ALTERNATIVE LLC @courieralternative.com
1046 NW 35TH PLACE
CAPE CORAL, FL 33993
US
1.8005714089 Fax: 1.2395741419

Administrative Contact:
COURIER ALTERNATIVE LLC
COURIER ALTERNATIVE LLC @courieralternative.com
1046 NW 35TH PLACE
CAPE CORAL, FL 33993
US
1.8005714089 Fax: 1.2395741419

Billing Contact:
COURIER ALTERNATIVE LLC
COURIER ALTERNATIVE LLC @courieralternative.com
1046 NW 35TH PLACE
CAPE CORAL, FL 33993
US
1.8005714089 Fax: 1.2395741419

Technical Contact:
COURIER ALTERNATIVE LLC
COURIER ALTERNATIVE LLC @courieralternative.com
1046 NW 35TH PLACE
CAPE CORAL, FL 33993
US
1.8005714089 Fax: 1.2395741419

Domain servers in listed order:
ns1.courieralternative.com
ns2.courieralternative.com

http://www.lookupbook.com/profile/healthcare-assisted-living/fl/cape-coral/courier-alternative-llc

COURIER ALTERNATIVE LLC
1046 NW 35TH PLACE,
CAPE CORAL, FL 33993

Heading: HEALTHCARE/ASSISTED-LIVING

This heading includes businesses which may offer Home care, senior companions, personal care, live-in caregivers, senior care, elder care services.

http://www.lookupbook.com/profile/healthcare-assisted-living/fl/cape-coral/courier-alternative-llc

COURIER ALTERNATIVE LLC
1046 NW 35TH PLACE,
CAPE CORAL, FL 33993

Heading: HEALTHCARE/ASSISTED-LIVING

This heading includes businesses which may offer Home care, senior companions, personal care, live-in caregivers, senior care, elder care services.

Nice find. I googled the business name all over and could find nothing. Guess I go ahead and report this

You possibly don't have enough at this stage but I certainly wouldn't go near it.

Looking at the document they want you to sign, just with a quick look.

I authorize representatives of USA 4 You to obtain pertinent information from my previous employers, references, and other persons with knowledge of my work history and background, financial history, education, regulatory or police records, licensing status or professional designation, and character or reputation, and to consider the information provided by the background check when making decisions regarding my employment at USA 4 You.

Two points - USA 4 You is another company, so someone has done a 'copy and paste job' which isn't a good sign and you're giving these people sweeping authority to get their hands on any personal information they want about you, and they also want details of your driver's licence - why ?

I dread looking at the other document.

The pdf form is a mess and not something I'd give credibility by putting a signature on. It's not been drawn up by a lawyer, but that doesn't mean it may not have legal effect. If you sign something outrageous a court could insist you comply, because you had the chance to read it before you signed it.

10. The Employee will perform additional tasks associated with the main duty if instructed so by the Employer.

17. If fulfilling any of duties indicated above is to involve any costs on the Employee's side, the Employer is to refund it up to the maximum amount of 300 USD (three hundred American dollars) per month.

19. By fulfilling the duties indicated above the Employee is to care for the Employer's well being. Such care involves ethical working with best will and common sense.

23. The compensation is to take a form agreed between the Employer and the Employee. Acceptable forms are especially: check sent to Employee's place of residence, direct deposit (ACH) or transfer to a prepaid card.

28. The Employee is to restrain from releasing any information concerning Employer's internal instructions or Employer's internal processes to third parties. The Employee accepts that such release may result in civil and penal charges. The restrain does not apply to any relations with federal or state authorities.

I am not legally qualified but it would be very unwise to sign this agreement, and I've only given this a cursory glance.

One point I would raise is that it refers to an 'account' you will operate without stating what name it will be in and how you will have access to it. Will it bein the name of the company, because anything else would be very frightening.

You won't find out without signing and returning these forms. I strongly recommend you don't. Just walk away.

USA 4 You is on facebook here https://www.facebook.com/PrinyaratKM

A Thailand set up ?

I'm inhuman I enjoy reading company terms and conditions. Like a car, people will polish the bodywork but by reading the t & c's you're looking at the mechanics.

This is a set up you don't want to touch.

This website http://courieralternative.com/ is an obvious fake. Has anybody reported it for fraud? I don't have access to 419eater because I use a satellite internet provider, so will somebody please report it for closing?

Krebs on Security has several excellent articles about the reshipping mule industry. It's a very big (and very illegal) business.
http://krebsonsecurity.com/2011/10/shady-reshipping-centers-exposed-part-i/
http://krebsonsecurity.com/2011/10/turning-hot-credit-cards-into-hot-stuff/

This is where the "company" address leads:
http://www.trulia.com/homes/Florida/Cape_Coral/sold/751327-1046-NW-35th-Pl-Cape-Coral-FL-33993

This is a Single-Family Home located at 1046 Northwest 35th Place, Cape Coral FL. 1046 NW 35th Pl has 3 beds, 2 baths, and approximately 1,396 square feet. The property has a lot size of 0.37 acres and was built in 2004.

^^I just added it to the list on Eater.

This scam seems to be rather sophisticated. The company Courier Alternative is registered as an active LLC in the state of Florida. The business description is listed as "Any and all lawful business" and it was registered in 2010. The business address used in the registration is the same Cape Coral, FL address that Dotti mentioned. However, the name used in the business registration is not consistent with the owner of the physical property located at XXXX NW 35th Pl according to the local GIS.

The name used to register the business is the same as a high profile Colombian entrepreneur in the animation and digital media industry. It is also the name of a common criminal with mugshots online from the Miami, Florida area. I don't see any real ties between that name and Cape Coral, FL.

The business concept is confused, vague and it must be considered that this is intentional. In spite of clearly naming various major 'courier' companies they'll be using, no supplier from whom you'll be receiving goods is mentioned. Of course, the fact that you'll be receiving goods from major courier companies raises issues as to why acting as an intermediary, who then has to on-ship goods using another courier company, adds any value. Logically this adds to the cost. Using three courier companies in place of one, including yourself, is palpably not a sensible business proposition.

The fact is that suppliers won't ship goods to a destination other than that shown on the credit card being used and, as you aren't providing any service to named suppliers, the service appears to point to receiving goods on behalf of customers who'd otherwise be unable to receive goods. How this works is unclear as your address would have to appear on existing credit cards, one established in your name or your current card. There is no mention made of how this works, other than to refer vaguely to an 'account' without any mention of what it actually is, how it's established or its status.

I cannot guess at what's going on, but the risks of giving such detailed personal financial information and signing an agreement that binds you not to disclose what you're doing is risky beyond belief. The job application appears to refer to an entity showing what must be counterfeit goods which raises other concerns. Whether this is relevant or not, who knows ?

Trying to make sense of something appearing to purposefully make itself obscure and unclear is impossible, but another issue is why, if you're operating an account (with whom or for what purpose is unknown), is one alternative for receiving remuneration, by cheque ?

The cogs in my brain turn slowly

If goods are being purchased by credit card, and then being shipped to your address, because companies will only ship to the address on the credit card, there must be (a) credit card(s) being used to buy the goods with your address on it, possibly your name too. That can only be your current credit card, or one(s) yet to be established.

Do NOT get involved.

The 'Krebs on Security' links mentioned by Dotti describe the process in detail.

The problem that the people devising these propositions have is to make them appear credible. In this case to become a courier in a 'daisy chain' of couriers is clearly inefficient, expensive and would delay delivery of goods. This isn't a service with a useful purpose. It's bound to be twice as expensive and twice as slow as the competition. The only relevance of using another person's address is that many companies, including card companies, flag up certain destinations and won't accept card transactions for them. Getting involved in any method to obscure or obfuscate where the final destination of goods is will get you in trouble, however it's done, and that's not clear from the website or documents, which in itself is a major concern. Having handed over your personal information and given over the right to make enquiries about your finances, what happens next is anyone's guess.

If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck - it's a duck.

We have some non-US and US info mixed up in here, so just to clarify a few points in the US, since this particular scammer is targeting Americans:

While there are some businesses that will only ship to a verified address (this is more often true with eBay and Paypal), most companies WILL ship to a different address than the one on the credit card. Sites like Amazon.com are routinely used for gift shopping, and it is a very common practice to order a gift for someone and have it shipped directly to them. I have done it many times myself. So the criminals do not have to have a credit card in your name--any hacked, phished, or forged credit card will do.

But, many companies will NOT ship to a different country, or simply refuse to ship to certain countries with a high rate of credit card fraud. This typically includes some African and Eastern European countries. This is why the mule is important. He/she can receive a large number of packages at his/her home address, and it won't set off a lot of red flags too soon, as long as the criminals are careful not to put too many packages on the same credit card and vary the supplier as needed. He is the link needed to get the packages to the criminals.

These particular re-shipping scams are typically the work of some pretty major criminal gangs from Eastern Europe. They are often hackers who are connected to major virus and botnet activity. It is not wise to get involved with them in any way. They often will spend a few hundred or even a thousand dollars to design a decent looking website and even to get a company registration number, as they stand to make hundreds of thousands of dollars from their operation. This particular scammer paid a few hundred dollars to have a "design contest" run to make a plausible looking brochure.

As I initially said, there ARE a few legitimate package forwarding facilities in the US, that do ship orders to legitimate customers in Eastern Europe and other blocked countries. These facilities run like mailbox stores, and they have physical locations and employees who report to work every day. Rather than pay up to $50 per package for an individual for 10 minutes of work, they pay a normal hourly wage, and end up paying far less than $10 per package for the same work. But, they typically do verify the legitimacy of their customers--which is why they are not useful to the credit card thieves.

The end result is, ANY work-from-home job that involves receiving packages or money and forwarding them to someone else is a scam, and is connected to some kind of criminal activity. It doesn't matter how legitimate the website looks or how convincing the brochure is. Stay far away from these "opportunities."