MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A local delivery service company is warning job seekers after learning it has become the victim of identity theft.
Able Express Courier Service recently learned of the scam after it began taking calls from individuals claiming to have received job offers via email from the company.
The victims told owner Christopher Duty they received the offers — which involved receiving and reshipping merchandise — after posting their resumes on legitimate job search sites online.
The scammers have even created a fake website for the company, which also bears the Better Business Bureau’s logo.
“Crooks often hijack a legitimate company’s name, using its reputation as a trustworthy front to operate their scam,” said Randy Hutchinson, BBB of the Mid-South president. “In this case, they hijacked the BBB logo as well.”
The BBB said these scammers included the logo to add legitimacy to their fake website.
Unfortunately, Able Express Courier Service said they did not send those emails.
They even issued a warning to other potential victims on the company Facebook page.
“If someone was contacted by email about a job with Able Express Courier Service, it is a scam,” Duty told the Better Business Bureau. “We do not hire out of state nor over the internet. We do not do package forwarding, and there is neither a Mike nor a Monica at Able.”
[protected-iframe id=”b89e88c5eec52a6499dfcca1bab44ee6-29519520-83897481″ info=”https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FAbleExpressMemphis%2Fposts%2F2054157904813373&width=500″ width=”500″ height=”193″ frameborder=”0″ style=”border:none;overflow:hidden” scrolling=”no”]
If you provided personal information to the scammers, visit IdentityTheft.gov for help.
Those who have been contacted by the fake company can file a report here.
If you have received and reshipped packages for the fake company, you can file a mail fraud complaint with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Tips for job seekers from the BBB:
- A job search site may be legitimate, some job offers listed on it may not be. Scammers advertise jobs where legitimate employers do, including online and in newspapers. Report phony job offers to the job search site.
- Posting your resume online may result in your email inbox being flooded with phony job offers. Scammers are counting on the unemployed to anxiously respond to emails that purport to offer them a position that’s been specially selected for them.
- Never pay for the promise of a job. If a potential employer asks you to pay a fee for certification, training materials, or other expenses, that may be a red flag that the job isn’t legitimate.
- Be wary of giving out personal or financial information when applying for a job. Legitimate employers only need your social security number when they are extending you an offer of employment. Putting it on every application you fill out could lead to identity theft.
- Beware of job descriptions that are vague or offer high pay for little work.
- Check out the company at bbb.org.
- Search for the company online. Visit their official website to see if the job is posted there. Check their BBB report for any information indicating that the company has been the victim of a scam.
