A week at a time: Scams in the spotlight

BANGKOK Why are we not surprised when Marriott issues a press statement, 22 June, saying it is “aware of a series of fraudulent offers targeting the hotel group’s employees”.

Hello, this the daily irritation of our wired-lifestyles. Our email junk boxes are overflowing with offers of a lifetime and long-lost friends who want to transfer USD1 million to our bank accounts. We win lotteries every day, health experts offers to us wonder cures, there are messages from Google and Apple to reaffirm our status all very seemingly innocent requests to improve our online experience. It’s the dark side of the internet.

Marriott says scammers use local newspapers to advertise fake job openings and press those who reply to pay a fee to fast-track their job application.

“We have been made aware of a series of fraudulent offers, or scams, for Marriott employment,” the corporate statement explained. “The scammers falsely claim to be representatives of Marriott recruiting potential employees on behalf of Marriott. They’ve been known to offer assistance in securing work permits and visas in exchange for money.”

Scammers use the internet and local newspapers to advertise false job openings. They often request applicants send their application, resume, or CV to an illegitimate email address.

Some have the audacity to ask applicants to wire funds to a bank account to cover processing and/or immigration fees.

So if you are waiting for someone to call and confirm you got recruited for a job-of-a-lifetime at Marriott, the hotel group explains it never hires people via an email channels and never asks money as part of the application process.

You want to work for Marriott just pick up the phone and call your nearest friendly Marriott office and ask to talk to the Human Resources Department.

No guarantee that anyone in the department will take you seriously though.

So you want the CEO’s post one day but are prepared to start with a regional director of marketing gig to get the hang of hotel keeping. Is HR listening or whispering “who gave this jerk our telephone number?”

While on the subject of scams it reminds me that I haven’t heard from anyone in Nigeria lately. People obviously high up in government  emailed me quite frequently asking me to be so kind to accept a bank transfer for a few million US dollars that they had skimmed off a corrupt oil department. I would just have to pay a few administration fees.

The messages were always worth a chuckle on a Blue Monday. I know some folks who actually replied blasting the Nigerians for their audacity and evil intentions. The emails bounced back unread. They were the lucky ones.

Sometimes the sole intention is to gain access to an email address or your computer. Once past the firewall the real trouble begins. Your little laptop turns into a remote host, a gateway to send a torrent of email around the world.

Closer to home, there are schemes that are on the borderline of scams. They  touch the travel industry and media businesses, many of them offering awards, but there is a heavy handed approach to gain advertising spend.

A colleague in the media business forwarded an innocent looking email from a group that wanted to bestow an award of honour on his media outlet.

There was a catch of course, called advertising.  While not compulsory it was hinted that by greasing the wheels  you move  up the promotional pecking order to enjoy a brighter spotlight and the  roll of drums.

Bill, Jim, Jack or Will, the advertising reps are all stamped from the same mould. They recite a set piece and grind out a sale pitch that is incredibly naïve. The promise is a gaudy ceremony all the bells and whistles, sometimes a black-tie dinner, where trophies are handed out to those who bothered to buy them.

The pitch goes like this. “We have spent months assessing … 150 companies were initially shortlisted for these awards, winners were selected from this group who stood out from the crowd for demonstrating a truly innovative approach in media.”

The catch is all the little extras you are supposed to buy to gain the slightest benefit from  award recognition.

You might think the trophy is free, but the email explains you have to shell out UKP250 if you want one. Actually you can buy as many trophies as needed to grace spots around the office. Eight trophies sell for UKP850 and for 10 you pay UKP1,250. Not sure why anyone would bother to duplicate the trophies.

This particular venture originates in the UK.  The approach is tacky and assumes that there are some very stupid people living beyond the English channel who are prepared to buy advertising out of gratitude for winning an award.

There are plenty of dubious awards in Asia, but they tend to be subtle. After you win one, the sales team tap you for  advertising in a special award edition, They give the statues away for free. That is considered far game. The awards have been announced now you have to say thank you with your cheque book.