Description

A scammer claiming to be Mr. Thomas Frank, allegedly a Clinical Counselor with UNICEF’s Department of Disability, contacted students via email offering a Virtual Assistant or Personal Assistant position. The message appeared professional and included emotional details about the sender’s mother battling cancer in Australia to build credibility and sympathy. After the recipient expressed interest, the scammer quickly described the first task: handling monthly donations to orphanages. They stated that they would send payment in advance by emailing a PDF picture of a check, instructing the recipient to mobile-deposit the check using their banking app. The funds were supposedly to cover both the recipient’s wages and the donations. The scammer insisted this was necessary due to “delays in deliveries” and emphasized urgency.