Jobhunting

[eddyramrod]

I spotted an ad on a Cyprus forum, advertising a job "driving me and my wife around Cyprus." That was pretty-much it, there were no further details, just an email address. Well I'm a professional driver (accidentally retired) so I thought I'd have a crack. Email duly sent, with CV attached, including full contact details, even my new address. I got a reply, as follows:

 

Dear Applicant,

 

Thanks for your response and I'm glad to read from you regarding the driving job. I am Aaron Bentley, Myself and my wife will be coming from Essex London to your city for holiday and we need someone to drive us around which everything is okay with us, I believe you are fit for this position in as much you will prove yourself a reliable, loyal and good person.

 

We will arrive on April 30th 2011. I will prefer to rent a 2008 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG car for you from a car hire company and I am offering you 400 Euro which is weekly and cost of gas is not included.Your consistency, punctuality, driving skill and perfection will increase your pay. I want to know if you going to be available throughout our stay and we will be staying for 3 weeks. You will make yourself available 5 times a week to our schedule for 5 hours each day and that should be before sunset around 4:00 pm to 9:00pm each working day, you will be working on Monday, Wednesday,Thursday, Friday and Saturday. You will pick us up from the airport to the hotel on our arrival date which the time would be given to you as soon as we confirmed our flight details. After our arrival, you will be picking us up from the hotel to anywhere we might want to go.

 

Concerning the payment term, I want you to know that my client will be sending you an Overdraft paycheck that will cover your first week payment and our cost of car hire and other expenses such as, gas and so on. After you must have received and cashed the Paycheck, you will deduct your first week payment and the remaining funds will be wired to car hire company via western union money transfer or money gram for the cost of renting the car other expenses like gas for the vehicle and more.

 

The paycheck is going to be an instant cash because I don't want to have any delay and it will be well prepared this week and send out to you this week. All details regarding to our travelling would be provided to you as soon you receive the Paycheck and send the remain money to the car hire company. In view of this, I want you to get back to me as soon as possible with the below information of yours to prepare the Paycheck so it wouldnt get to the wrong hands.

 

 

Full Name:

Full Mailing Address with Zip Code(No P.O Box Pls):

Phone #:

Acceptance of my offer :

And a recent picture if available.

 

 

However, I will need the above information so I will know better about the person that will be driving us and I assure you that your info would be treated with utmost good faith. I will be willing to give you my information also to make you feel safe. Get back to me if you are good with the offer so that the paycheck for the first week can be made to you as soon as possible and i will appreciatequick response from you.

 

God Bless You and have a good day

 

Regards,

 

Mr. Aaron Bentley

 

What does the team think? Scammer? I admit I'm suspicious.

[revolting peasant]

[Lankytim]

Looks like a scam, but why??

[Albert Ross]

Are they good, honest Nigerians?

[Lord Sterling]

Hmmm, sounds like a scam with the way its worded, he isnt very specific about anything apart from the actual car he wants to rent. I'd tread carefully. And why specifically a 2008 C63 AMG, why not a 2009 model? And what car rental company will he be hiring from? What if the company dont have this specific model available?

[Guest]

Essex is in London? Makes the Essex/London sketch from Monkey Dust a bit pointless.

[eddyramrod]

Just what I was thinking, m'lud. Anyway, I won't be replying; I've "come out" now in the "cars you dislike" thread. You want me to drive you, hire a proper car, like an XJ8.

[Guest Leonard Hatred]

Hmmm, sounds like a scam with the way its worded, he isnt very specific about anything apart from the actual car he wants to rent. I'd tread carefully. And why specifically a 2008 C63 AMG, why not a 2009 model? And what car rental company will he be hiring from? What if the company dont have this specific model available?

 

Also, "gas" and "zip code".

[CreepingJesus]

I'll up his offer: I'll give you 500 euro per week, and I want to be driven around Cyprus in a 1989 Peugeot 205 Style. With Poundland wheeltrims, and tigerskin seat covers. Can you send me all your money, I'm a Nigerian Prince, honest, kindest regards Prince Fictitious Character, Lagos, Nigeria.

Who would do such a thing?

[mk1_4dr]

My immediate thought was scammer, although, it seems an odd way to try and scam someone....

 

It could be an easy way to earn some pocket money and drive a flash car, whats the insurance situation on hiring a car and then driving it for reward?

 

Tread careful young jedi.

[eddyramrod]

Will a 1990 Mazda 323F do, your highness?

 

Mk1, I think it might be a variation on the fortune-locked-in-bank theme. As for the insurance position, I suppose anyone hiring a car can nominate a driver. Whether he's your brother, or some half-Irish expat you have to pay in cash, doesn't really matter.

[scaryoldcortina]

Essex is in London? Makes the Essex/London sketch from Monkey Dust a bit pointless.

 

You mean it isn't? We can't make "essex man" jokes about Seth anymore then?

[Pillock]

For those who are sat on the fence - It's a blatant scam.... "overpayment" - "Western union" - they just need to be the son of a Nigerian prince for the full line at Scam Bingo.

Any time you're offered overpayment for something, you'll magically find the cheque you've cashed and then drawn against is as meaningful as Katie Price's next wedding.

 

You could have some fun with them first though......

[revolting peasant]

[eddyramrod]

I can't be bothered, but I'll pm the email address to anyone who wants it...

[scaryoldcortina]

just post it already......

[trigger]

I'd call scam as well, As Hirst said, Anyone from Essex would not call it Essex London, I know as I'm from Essex plus how many British people you know write the date as Month than day.

 

Sent him Mikeys email address and ask if he's interested in a PU51 plate.

[eddyramrod]

Anyone who wants can have a go... [email protected]

 

For all the reasons people have offered, I'm inclined to believe it's fake. I feel soiled. Injurylawyers4U, where are "U" when I need "U"?

[CreepingJesus]

I can't be bothered, but I'll pm the email address to anyone who wants it...

 

Go for it.

[Justin Case]

I do smell a rat. I've been told that there's some programme on the telly that proves that the typical resident of Essex has the brains of a goldfish, so the shortcomings in the geography department would not arouse suspicion. However, if someone could afford to hire an AMG C63, then the cost of petrol would not be a major factor, so the insistence on one with the extra economy of an LPG conversion ( ie the cost of gas) seems deeply suspicious. I think that the best ploy would be to tell them how lucky they are to have contacted someone who has fallen on hard times due to his multi-millionaire brother being unable to remove his money from Nigeria, and that if he would be able to help then the payment would be waived. If he could send you details of his bank account then you could make all the necessary arrangements before he even sets foot on your island.

 

In the meantime, Alfisti Financial Services, Sicilian Branch would be happy to oversee the transaction in the usual manner.

[Tayne]

.

[Guest Leonard Hatred]

so the insistence on one with the extra economy of an LPG conversion ( ie the cost of gas) seems deeply suspicious.

 

They're not talking about LPG, it's American English - short for gasoline.

[Justin Case]

so the insistence on one with the extra economy of an LPG conversion ( ie the cost of gas) seems deeply suspicious.

 

They're not talking about LPG, it's American English - short for gasoline.

 

A good point Leonard, but my suspicion was aroused by the fact that the inhabitants of Essex, London speak Estuary and not an American dialect, hence the quite logical deduction that a scam was involved. Elementary, my dear Hatred

 

Estuary English is a name given to the form(s) of English widely spoken in and around London and, more generally, in the southeast of England  along the river Thames and its estuary.

 

gas- noun, plural gas·es, verb, gassed, gas·sing.

–a. empty talk.

b. a person or thing that is very entertaining, pleasing, or successful:

 

 

I was more concerned about accidentally offending the inhabitants of Essex, Essex, such as Dicky, who obviously are not tarred with that brush, so my apologies if needed

 

So Eddy, if you need any further help, please contact an Alfisti Security Review Expert (Huge On Line Experience)

[scooters]

definately a 419 scam. The syntax of the English is the usual over formalised anf flowery typical to West Africans.

 

He wants you address, photo, and personal details. The next thing he will ask for is your bank account details with some excuse about not being able to send you the paycheck.

 

DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES REPLY - forward this to the 419 monitoring unit of the Met.

 

This is a new development in the fraudsters' technique. They know people are wise to the "I am Prince Brian Mumbaba only son of the late General Mumbaba and I am going to inherit £500,000 pounds but the evil bank don't believe me so can you pay £5000 and I will give you 50% of the half mil....."

 

These guys are dangerous

 

check out www.419eater.com, this guy runs scam baiting website - if you search there you will see similar scams

[ProgRocker]

A 2008 C63 AMG? Bit specific, isn't it?

[revolting peasant]

[TimothyClaypole]

I did get one of these ages ago while selling some motorbike stuff on Ebay.

 

Offered me a ridiculous £2500 for an Arai helmet... received a nice envelope containing a nice big business cheque too, looked pretty nice sitting in the bank for two days.

 

Then it bounced out again, humbug.

 

(obviously I knew it was a scam but just wanted to see if they had the goods as it were, it was before they started with all this Western Union malarky too).

[eddyramrod]

the 419 monitoring unit of the Met.

 

I didn't know such a unit existed! Do you have an email addy for it? I'll happily forward the email I received.