On 20th March 2024, a reader sent me an email enquiring about the legitimacy of a remote data entry job offer he received.
The job was sent via email from alexis@conformalmedicalcareers.com, and it read thus;
”Hi,
I’m writing to invite you to an online interview for the role of Remote Data Entry at Conformal Medical. Your qualifications and experience pleased us, and we’d want to learn more about you. We received your resume through LinkedIn and believe you would be an excellent addition to our team.
We’d like to set up an online interview with you for tomorrow March 19th. Please let us know if you are available at any of the times listed below”
As a Cyber security professional, I did detailed investigation and my findings revealed a can of worms.
What You Should Know
The remote data entry job offer from Alexis Warshall isn’t authentic. Conformal Medical (a company that produces medical devices) doesn’t have the data entry role listed among the open positions on its website.
Secondly, the company does not send unsolicited recruitment job texts without receiving an application letter from job seekers.
Meanwhile, when I reached out to them via their official email address ‘info@conformalmedical.com’. I was informed they are not responsible for the recruitment email or texts circulating lately.
Clearly, they’ve been targeted by employment scammers impersonating their company.
How This Job Offer Actually Works
Like I mentioned earlier, the recruitment email from alexis@conformalmedicalcareers.com is not legit. The remote data entry job doesn’t really exist. After a fake interview on Telegram or Signal, you’d be told you’ve been hired.
Then, you’d be lured into a polished scam.
After you accept the fake job offer, the scammers will send you a bad check to buy office supplies for your new job and direct you to a scam vendor.
Even when the check is placed on hold by the bank, the scammers would insist you make the payment from you personal account. Convincing you that the bank would clear the check soon.
But this isn’t true, once you’ve made the payment from your account, the vendor would disappear and the recruiters would cease communication with you.
What to Do If you fell for this Fake Conformal Medical Job Recruitment
If you’ve already submitted your personal details and CV to the crooks behind this fake employment offer. You should do the following;
Enroll in identity theft monitoring services
Identity protection services like Experian or Aura monitor databases that collect different types of information. When you enroll with them, you’d receive an alert notifying you of suspicious activities like –
- a change of address request
- court or arrest records
- orders for new utility, cable, or wireless services
- an application for a payday loan, etc.
Experian.com for example, has a basic Identity Theft monitoring plan which is free. I advise that you sign up for it, if you can’t afford the premium plan which is $24.99 monthly.
Alert your Bank of the Fraudulent Transaction
If you fell for the equipment vendor plot and made the payment using your account, immediately notify your bank. Send screenshots of the conversations between you and the criminal, payment receipt, etc.
You should also request for a chargeback if it’s possible to recover your money.
Spread Awareness of the Ongoing Scam
It’s very important that you inform people of your experience with the crooks impersonating Conformal Medical. You could do this on Forums, or even Threads like Reddit. This would help prevent others from being victims of the scam.
You can also go a step further by reporting the scam to government authorities like – FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (www.ic3.gov). This would make them put up a notice warning the public of the scam.
Know This Common Red Flags of Employment Scams;
Having debunked and exposed the scam behind the recruitment email from Alexis Warshall, here are my tips on how to spot employment scams –
- Asks you to pay money (this money could be labelled ‘training fee’ or ‘application fee’.
- Insists that you buy work equipment from their chosen vendor. I explained earlier how this scam tactics work. The vendor is also part of the fraud.
- Requests for sensitive information, like your social security number, date of birth, or bank account information). This isn’t a part of early recruitment process.
- Juicy pay that looks too good to be true. (This should be the first red flag). If they’re promising to pay higher than the market rate, treat with caution.
- Only uses texts and online chats. Most legitimate companies don’t reach out to recruit via text unless you already applied on the company’s site and opted to receive text messages.
Final Thoughts
Employment scammers are becoming smarter lately – they go as far as impersonating reputable companies, making job seekers think they’re the real deal. However, it’s all part of their scheme. Once they’ve established the trust, they’d proceed in their scam which could be disguised as ‘equipment fee’ ‘training fee’ ‘upgrade fee’ etc.
When you’re offered a job always remember the saying ‘If It’s too good to be true, it certainly isn’t true’.
When approached by a job recruiter either online or offline, the first thing to do is research the company and the job opportunity. Find the company on the internet and review their online presence, including their social media. Enter the company’s name and the word “scam” on search engine, paste the email address too to find out if it has been flagged as scam.
Meanwhile, while you’re here, check my Latest Alert – pass-travel-usa.com safe or scam?