OMG y’all…last Wednesday I got a text out of the blue inviting me for an interview. They used my full name ; first, middle, last. The person gave me a name of Mrs. Rebecca Bailey of Ciena Corp. They claimed they saw my resume on Indeed and they just knew I’d be a perfect fit for one of their openings. They went on the list a broad variety of positions - most of which I am not qualified for: IT, marketing, human resources, bookkeeping/accounting, etc. and which am I interested in? (RED FLAG #1) So, I get on Google Hangouts and go thru an interview with someone using the name Katie Felts. Surprise, surprise, I pass the interview and they want to give me a remote position as an administrative assistant (which I did not request) and pay me $29 per hour. (RED FLAG #2) They will be sending me a brand new MacBook but I would have to order a long list of software from their vendor. (Curious, why not have the software loaded on the MacBook before shipping it? RED FLAG #3) Accounting sent me an email with a $2800 check attached (the name on the check was MERCK - RED FLAG #4) that I am to mobile deposit to my account and as soon as its accepted, order all of this software. In the meantime, I have to check in with this person the next morning and let her know the bank accepted the check. Well, shock of shocks, the bank rejected the check because they said it was an altered or fictitious item. As soon as I told Katie Felts this news, I was instantly blocked from the conversation. Well, wouldn’t you know, I got another text message today from a different company. The wording was a little different but basically the same scam. They reel you in with the promise of outrageous wages, then if the bank takes the check, you order thousands of dollars of software/equipment under the guise that they are paying for it but by the time the check is returned, the scammers have stolen your money. I have saved the entire conversation in Hangouts, the emails they sent and will be making a report with the FBI. I don't want anyone else to be suckered in like I was. Thankfully, my bank is really looking out for me. Some things to watch for: recruiters email address should be name@company.com and not name@gmail.com. They want to offer a lot of money for low level positions. They will ask questions like how often you want to be paid, and which position you want. I have never been given a choice for payday - weekly or every two weeks - or which job I want. The IM conversation will be full of poor grammar and misspellings. Do a quick Google search for the company name. The one I got today turned out to be a Dutch energy company. Report the numbers as spam and block them on your device and keep detailed notes for law enforcement.