DAYTON, OHIO, March 8, 2011 – Today, your Better Business Bureau is warning job seekers about a scammer that’s harvesting people’s identities by posing as a local BBB Accredited Business.
Consumers are receiving e-mails saying “The HR Department of our company is interested in your resume and we are glad to inform you that FBN Construction LLC would like to offer you a vacancy with a stable income...” It invites them to check out a Web site for the alleged company and complete a registration form. The registration form asks for various personal information about the consumer, which opens him or her up to identity theft. The Web site even displays a BBB Accredited Business seal, which links to a legitimate business’ BBB reliability report.
In reality, there is a BBB Accredited Business in Dayton, OH that does business as FBN Construction & Remodeling, LLC. The company has an A+ rating with your BBB. However, your BBB has contacted the company about the scam activity. The company representative says it is not sending out the e-mails. And, the company’s been inundated with phone calls from consumers about the e-mails. Your BBB has also seen an increase in activity for the company due to the e-mails. Last year alone, your BBB had nearly 40 inquiries about FBN Construction & Remodeling, LLC. Just in February and March 2011, your BBB has fielded over 300 inquiries about the company. Interestingly, the legitimate company doesn’t even have a Web site.
In addition, BBB staff also called the phone numbers in the e-mails and the woman and man on the phone messages have strong, foreign accents. The legitimate business has also called the phone number and said the representative from the organization was unpleasant to deal with.
John North, BBB president and CEO, “There are a lot of red flags with this situation. The e-mail asks the consumers to set up a bank account for depositing income and provide the bank account information. Your BBB advises people not to submit bank information to company’s until you’ve been hired. And, the e-mail says even if you have a full time job, the opportunity is a good part-time opportunity. And, it claims you don’t need any operational experience. Be wary if the opportunity sounds too good to be true.”
If you receive an e-mail similar to this, be wary. Ask questions, do your research and Start with Trust by visiting www.bbb.org or calling (937) 222-5825 or (800) 776-5301.
About Your BBB Serving Dayton and the Miami Valley
Your BBB, the leader in advancing marketplace trust, is an unbiased nonprofit organization that sets and upholds high standards for fair and honest business behavior. Businesses that earn BBB Accreditation contractually agree and adhere to the organization’s high standards of ethical business behavior. Your BBB provides objective advice, free business BBB Reliability ReportsTM and charity BBB Wise Giving ReportsTM, and educational information on topics affecting marketplace trust. To further promote trust, your BBB also offers complaint and dispute resolution support for consumers and businesses when there is difference in viewpoints. The first BBB was founded in 1912. Today, 125 BBBs serve communities across the U.S. and Canada, evaluating and monitoring more than four million local and national businesses and charities. Please visit www.bbb.org for more information about your BBB.
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