Description

English Translation I always thought I was cautious enough— until the day I received a call from a company named COHIRES Human Resources. It was an ordinary afternoon. I had just sent out a few resumes when the phone rang. A woman with a calm, professional voice told me that my profile had been “selected by their system” and matched a position they were handling for a multinational corporation. My heart sped up. That long-lost feeling of hope suddenly surged back into my chest. She spoke convincingly, telling me I had the potential to enter their “international candidate pool,” and that all I needed was to complete a $5,000 professional evaluation and certification. I hesitated, but everything they provided looked real— the website, the contract, the consultant team photos, the partner company logos, the mock interview schedule… I even found a few “positive reviews” online, as if they existed solely to reassure someone like me. In the end, I paid. 1. The Beginning—Everything Looked Real As soon as the money was transferred, they immediately sent me several “assessment documents” along with a mock interview. The consultant’s feedback was so detailed it felt like advice from a genuine career expert: which responses demonstrated leadership which answers sounded too neutral which English expressions lacked professionalism I completely believed them. There were even three “international corporate” video interviews, but the interviewers never turned on their cameras, claiming it was part of an “internal confidentiality process.” At the time, I didn’t think much of it. 2. The Turning Point: The $20,000 ‘Position Lock Fee’ Then one day, I received an offer letter from someone named Evan, who introduced himself as an “International Recruitment Director.” He said a major global tech company intended to hire me and that I was just one step away from final confirmation. However, because there was another candidate in the last round, they recommended I pay a $20,000 ‘position lock fee.’ He claimed the money would be fully refunded two months after I started the job. The offer letter was eight pages long, each page featuring the company’s header, seals, and signatures—it looked flawless. But I suddenly noticed: the email address wasn’t a corporate domain the contract terms were vague and circular they always refused to let me speak with the “actual employer” directly I couldn’t calm down. A sense of dread began tapping at my chest. 3. The Truth Reveals Itself: I Had Been Targeted That night, I decided to do a full check. I looked up the domain registration of their website—nothing. I reverse-searched the consultant’s profile photos—every one of them was stolen from various websites. The “mock interview coach’s” video came from a paid online course platform. At that moment, it felt like a block of ice had been shoved into my stomach. I realized: The $5,000 was already gone. And their next target was the $20,000. 4. My Counterattack I didn’t confront them immediately. Instead, I saved every email, contract, recording, and screenshot, then: contacted my bank to file a fraud claim submitted all evidence to the cybercrime department posted anonymous warnings on job platforms searched social media for similar cases What I found made me furious and heartbroken— I wasn’t the first. And I wouldn’t be the last. Those “international video interviews,” those “professional assessment reports,” those “consultant photos”… were all templates, reused over and over with different names and logos to trick new victims. 5. The Final Realization COHIRES contacted me one last time with a simple reminder: “You have 48 hours to complete the $20,000 payment, or the position will be revoked.” I stared at the email. For the first time, I felt no anger—only clarity. This was a carefully engineered scam, and I was merely one of the “potential targets” they had selected. I finally replied: “I have submitted all evidence to the police. Your game is over.” After that, I blocked every one of their contacts. 6. Conclusion I’m still trying to recover the $5,000, but what worries me more is this— Somewhere out there, on a night as anxious as mine once was, someone else may pick up an identical phone call, hear the same promises, and fall into the same trap. All I can do now is write down everything that happened, hoping my experience becomes a small light that helps others sidestep the same pitfall.