Description

I was contacted through email about a job interview. After being hired directly after the interview, they asked for my name, phone number, address, and email. They also asked which bank I used and what my mobile deposit limit was. All of this was done through Teams chat. Interview and all. I did not see their face, and when I requested a video chat they said, ‘no video chats until training begins,’ which will be after I have signed and input all my information into the forms he sent me. The forms sent were a job offer letter, W-4 form, and I-9 form. They also told me through the same Teams chat that they will be sending me a check to buy all my supplies/equipment to do my job. I received the check through email, which no company would do since it’s not safe. After printing the check then went to the bank to have them authenticate it and they told me it was fake. First thing the bank told me was that the bank logo on the check was old. United Bank has a new logo. Second, the account number on the check does not exist. He checked the system and confirmed it. And last, ‘Boots Apotek’ go by ‘Boots’ in any official emails/documents. You can also see that in the email the Boots logo from the email is blurry, because the scammer copy and pasted it basically. There were many red flags that pointed to this being a scam, like the email that invited me to the interview was @gmail.com not @company.com, the company was located in Norway and had no business in the United States, they sent me important forms and a check through email, and they were very quick to hire and insistent on me depositing the check asap.