Description

I applied for a job position that was listed in either ZipRecruiter or Indeed (I'm having issues tracing back to the original posting, so I can't remember which one it was). The position was for a virtual assistant at a weekly rate that would roughly equal $30 / hour. As this is a pretty standard wage for the job description, I did not see any reason to be concerned that it might be a scam. I submitted an application along with my resume which includes my legal name, phone number, and home address. I then received an email from an address that looked professional, stating that I had passed the first round of considerations and that the next step of the interview process would be emailed to me once my background information was verified. I am unable to find this email as it seems to have somehow been permanently wiped from my email server, so I cannot verify the address that was initially used to open communications. About a week later, I received what appeared to be a follow-up email from Michael Fung with the Kwai Fung Hin Art Gallery stating that my background check had passed for the Virtual Assistant position and that they wanted to move forward with the interview and hiring process. This email came from a different sender: [email protected]. The email sign-off appears professional and includes "Mr. Fung's" name, job position, and business name. The email confirmed the salary at $850 a week and requested that I answer a few questions ahead of our interview. The sender wanted to know my time zone, availability, and a few standard pre-interview questions such as a brief description that demonstrates my understanding of "privacy and code of conduct," my experience with working remotely and whether or not my home office was equipped with basic resources, and my preferred method of communication including my typical response time. Having applied to a large number of jobs over the past year, and unable to locate the original email, I responded by acknowledging the followup, and asked a few questions myself, including validation of the job posting, asking for more detail about the job duties and if they could describe a typical work day, explanation about how they process their salary payouts, context about their organization, and that I require a signed contract before making any commitments or delivering work duties. In answering their questions, I also made it clear that my availability is strictly within regular business hours Monday through Friday, and that communications on my end are not guaranteed on weekends unless otherwise negotiated. I did not include any personal identifying information in any of my communications outside of what is included in my resume that was initially submitted. I stated in my reply that once questions and concerns were satisfied for both parties, I would be available to begin employment. My response was sent on a Sunday right before I went out to run some errands. About 5 hours later, while I was out (I typically have my phone on silent outside of emergency contacts during this time), I noticed a text message from ###-###-####, from Mr. Fung acknowledging receipt of my email. I then noticed 2 missed calls from the same number roughly 5 minutes after the text. As I still did not find anything particularly "off" about our exchanges so far, and still a bit desperately trying to land a steady job, I decided to call back thinking it might help solidify the position. An individual answered by instantly addressing me by my first name without my having to introduce myself. He became very short stating that I was expected to acknowledge his texts and calls, to which I reminded him that I am not under any obligations until officially employed, and that I clearly stated in my email that I am not guaranteed to respond on weekends. He sounded a bit offended, telling me that I need to make sure I save his number in my phone before quickly disconnecting. Immediately following this interaction, I received a followup text saying "Thank you! Your first assignment will be mailed to you." And that we will be able to schedule a proper interview once he returns to the states in about a week, and that I should "always confirm receipt of my text to avoid any misunderstanding." Again, up to this point, I had not given them any additional personal information outside of what was already listed on my resume and application (data that is all completely reasonable and expected in job applications). Two days later, this morning, I received a notification from my UPS account that I had a package on the way, expected to be delivered via overnight shipping. I am not expecting anything and at first thought it might be a late holiday gift, so I looked up the tracking. The tracking number doesn't show where it's being shipped from, but it confirms that it is destined to my personal home address under my name. I then noticed in the notification that the packaged was processed under a code stating that: "Once we receive your UNODE50VENETIAN package, your delivery date may be updated." Upon googling the code "UNODE50VENETIAN" it appears to be some kind of cheap jewelry brand found on several Amazon.com listings. I haven't yet received the package and can't confirm whether or not it is coming from this "Mr. Fung", but it does appear to be confirmed as en route to my home, and the assumed product description does not line up with anything I or anyone I personally know would consider sending me. After giving the whole situation further thought, I then researched Fung's email address and phone number to find that both have already been reported with similar stories. I have since blocked both the email address and phone number, saving screenshots for all communications thus far. I have also not yet received a proper response from them addressing my own questions and concerns and am now worried that they have my personal contact information and are possibly sending something sketchy to my home.