Dear Scammers, Letter from a Job Seeker

I've been looking for a new 'real' job.

Sounds perfectly normal, right? Well, to be honest, it's been twenty-two years since I was unemployed and the market and methods have changed dramatically. No longer do you race out on Sunday to get the want ads to be the first to send out a resume, or make a phone call on Monday only to hear the position was filled two weeks ago and they forgot to pull the ad.

Now, everything is electronic, This makes things super easy for employers, but for those of us on the other side of the equation, it has become another area where you have to watch out for people trying to separate you from your hard earned money.

Here is an example that was sent to my email after spending an afternoon painstaking looking over a dozen web sites, trying hard to sort out the wheat from the chaff:

"Dear job seeker 

Our recruitment team viewed your resume published Application :Administrative Assistant- Full Time/ Part Time) and we are pleased with your 

qualifications,we believe you have the required qualifications to 

undergo an online interview.

Your resume was shortlisted for an online interview with the interview

manager Mrs Carol Rawson via G-mail Hangout or Google talk with the

following email address (carolrawson2016@gmail.com). Add Her to your

buddy list and message Her, She will be online waiting for you ASAP to

conduct the interview with you.

Your verification code is ( XXXXXX ), this would serve as your

identification number throughout the online hiring process. Your

timely response matters a lot.

We look forward to having you on the team.

Interview Scheduled : Online.

Time: 9am-5pm

Date: January 16th-23rd 

Venue: On Line Via Google Hangout

Training is Available

Human Resources

Your swift and timely response matters a lot in this beneficial 

position.

Best Regard :

Yours Truly,

Hiring Manager

Regards"

There are so many things grammatically wrong with this email it would be hard to believe a reputable business HR department put this together. Second, Google Hangout? Really?

I followed one of these rabbit trails months ago when I was a fresh faced newly unemployed idealist. It led to a chat room where the contents of the front page of a real company website were splashed before me, which then led to a hiring offer. They would send a check to cover any expenses I might incur to get the 'new' district office up and running.

Sure enough, two days later a delivery man dropped a parcel on my doorstep containing a cashier's check for $2700.00. I was to deposit it in my account, then send a new money order to so and so for the purchase of the equipment. Yeah, right. I bet there's a Nigerian prince in this mess somewhere.

Look, all I want is a job. If I had money to be scammed I wouldn't be on the hunt for gainful employment. In preying on those who can least afford to be catfished, you are taking grift to a new level of lowliness. In the immortal words of Septa Unella from 'Game of Thrones', SHAME, SHAME, SHAME.

Or maybe I am looking at this the wrong way. Instead of answering advertisements, I should place one: "Wanted: Admin/Office Manager/Receptionist/Lemming/Human Resources/Gerbil. Must have valid checking account for payments. Work from home trying to find new office space. Only the gullible need apply. Make your own hours all for $40/hour."

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