Received email that my resume was seen on job posting board and would like to set up an interview/ arrange times to discuss an opening for a project manager opening.
Telephone interview with "Lily Clark" lasted 5-10 minutes where basic questions were asked:
Tell me about yourself
Tell me about your usual day
A little bit about the company was explained-mentioning more would be discussed if I advanced in the candidacy.
A few days later Lily Clark replied via email and stated that a training manager would be in contact in a few days to coordinate pre-employment assessments.
After receiving no contact whatsoever, I then get an email from Rose Moore stating to please reply within 24 hours in order to determine if I can sign the attached pre-employment agreement. Bad communication going on within their ring.
Paperwork signed, detailing that training was to show skills prior to hiring (I have the pre-employment agreement still) and that 5 research based tests using internet research followed by 5 practical in-action tasks. Also that I needed to maintain an average score of “3” to stay under consideration. I got 5 on all theoretical tasks. Each assignment had a deadline which I always met. The pre-employment agreement read that it took about 1 month for the training to transpire.
Rose Moore stated that I was moving along well with high scores even on intermediate tasks so I could go ahead and be considered for the practical tasks. The test was to find estimates for Apple Mac Book equipment according to the specs they provided, gets estimates and compare which would save the most in a proposal quote and recommendation, where I created a spreadsheet report with sum and delta formulas- not that it mattere din the end. The next step was to wait for headquarters to approve my recommendation then I might have a part in a small project. I assumed it would be a test project.
Unfortunately the next step put off the hugest red flag when they asked to transfer money to my personal credit card from their corporate account in order to process a purchase order transaction. I emailed back outlining my concern of the unethical business transaction and that any acting to conduct transactions on their behalf needs to come from their own accounts. With no reply, I searched the internet for scams- while the web site still remains, another individual in Washington State made a complaint of a similar scam from this exact company (URL is the same).
Overall:
The benefit and job being offered, contingent upon successful training was completed was a project management certificate and a job with a $95,000.00 per year salary with options to earn commissions on certain projects to be discussed during final candidacy review. While always cautious, I certainly acted on my gut instinct after the money transfer request to my credit card. I gave them the benefit of the doubt because they said they were a startup and were actively filling roles for an office opening in my area. They tried to say that none of my personal information was needed, that I just needed to set up a "bill pay" payee for their corporate account- yeah didn't do that. The Los Angeles physical address and website match the email address from the representatives, but as someone who has had their own website before, it is relatively cheap these days to create a site and get corresponding email addresses. Even so, with both the web site, email matching the website and physical location on google maps matching the business name (Los Angeles), I decided to give the training my full attention. However, no LinkedIn profiles or other pictures of these individuals on their own website or anywhere else was found.
The scam to their benefit would have been obtaining costly goods in bulk, i.e. MacBooks worth up to $25,000.00 and leaving me liable for the debt with no contract agreement or trace to hold them accountable. They masked the operation as a job opportunity requiring training first. I think this is a rather sophisticated scam, but I am more sophisticated. I pushed th eboundaries by waiting to see what they would request after each training having some inling in my mind that this could go sour. It is too bad that people want to prey on those who want honest work and who are willing to exert their skills to work hard for a company. Please dont fall for this scam and if you are also looking for work, do not give up- you are valuable to some company or business that needs your skills now.
StartupSmart Reviews
Received email that my resume was seen on job posting board and would like to set up an interview/ arrange times to discuss an opening for a project manager opening.
Telephone interview with "Lily Clark" lasted 5-10 minutes where basic questions were asked:
Tell me about yourself
Tell me about your usual day
A little bit about the company was explained-mentioning more would be discussed if I advanced in the candidacy.
A few days later Lily Clark replied via email and stated that a training manager would be in contact in a few days to coordinate pre-employment assessments.
After receiving no contact whatsoever, I then get an email from Rose Moore stating to please reply within 24 hours in order to determine if I can sign the attached pre-employment agreement. Bad communication going on within their ring.
Paperwork signed, detailing that training was to show skills prior to hiring (I have the pre-employment agreement still) and that 5 research based tests using internet research followed by 5 practical in-action tasks. Also that I needed to maintain an average score of “3” to stay under consideration. I got 5 on all theoretical tasks. Each assignment had a deadline which I always met. The pre-employment agreement read that it took about 1 month for the training to transpire.
Rose Moore stated that I was moving along well with high scores even on intermediate tasks so I could go ahead and be considered for the practical tasks. The test was to find estimates for Apple Mac Book equipment according to the specs they provided, gets estimates and compare which would save the most in a proposal quote and recommendation, where I created a spreadsheet report with sum and delta formulas- not that it mattere din the end. The next step was to wait for headquarters to approve my recommendation then I might have a part in a small project. I assumed it would be a test project.
Unfortunately the next step put off the hugest red flag when they asked to transfer money to my personal credit card from their corporate account in order to process a purchase order transaction. I emailed back outlining my concern of the unethical business transaction and that any acting to conduct transactions on their behalf needs to come from their own accounts. With no reply, I searched the internet for scams- while the web site still remains, another individual in Washington State made a complaint of a similar scam from this exact company (URL is the same).
Overall:
The benefit and job being offered, contingent upon successful training was completed was a project management certificate and a job with a $95,000.00 per year salary with options to earn commissions on certain projects to be discussed during final candidacy review. While always cautious, I certainly acted on my gut instinct after the money transfer request to my credit card. I gave them the benefit of the doubt because they said they were a startup and were actively filling roles for an office opening in my area. They tried to say that none of my personal information was needed, that I just needed to set up a "bill pay" payee for their corporate account- yeah didn't do that. The Los Angeles physical address and website match the email address from the representatives, but as someone who has had their own website before, it is relatively cheap these days to create a site and get corresponding email addresses. Even so, with both the web site, email matching the website and physical location on google maps matching the business name (Los Angeles), I decided to give the training my full attention. However, no LinkedIn profiles or other pictures of these individuals on their own website or anywhere else was found.
The scam to their benefit would have been obtaining costly goods in bulk, i.e. MacBooks worth up to $25,000.00 and leaving me liable for the debt with no contract agreement or trace to hold them accountable. They masked the operation as a job opportunity requiring training first. I think this is a rather sophisticated scam, but I am more sophisticated. I pushed th eboundaries by waiting to see what they would request after each training having some inling in my mind that this could go sour. It is too bad that people want to prey on those who want honest work and who are willing to exert their skills to work hard for a company. Please dont fall for this scam and if you are also looking for work, do not give up- you are valuable to some company or business that needs your skills now.