Did you receive a job offer from someone posing as a recruiter at Clark Marten Photography? Beware! It’s not a legit remote work opportunity. It’s an employment scam that uses Indeed to promote fake job openings, then trick job seekers into non-existent jobs.
Firstly, the website used by this scam is not the legit Clark Marten Photography website; clarkmarten.com. The scammers use a spoofed look-alike website; clarkmarteninc.com which was recently created (10th June 2024). The legit official website for Clark Marten Photography was launched in 12th August 2004.
Secondly, the interview process is via texts only, which isn’t the right method for acquiring new employees. Other red flags to note are;
- Too good to be pay
- Shallow interview via texts ((779) 253-3921), or WhatsApp.
- Lacks formal onboarding process
How The Clark Marten Photography Fake Job Scam Works
- The scammers entice job seekers with high income pay and benefits via texts and fake job listing on Indeed.
- Once you indicate interest, a fake interview would be conducted either on Signal, Telegram, or on WhatsApp. After which you’d be told you’ve been hired.
- Once you accept the fake job offer, the scammers would use ‘work equipment fee’ tactics to scam you. A third party would be introduced as a vendor whom you’re to buy work material from. However, this person is included in the scam. Whatever check sent to you wouldn’t appear on your bank account, but you’d be coerced to make the payment for the materials with your own money while you wait for the check to be approved by your bank.
A Job Seeker’s Experience;
I applied for a job from Clark Marten Photography and was contacted 5 days later for a “text” interview. I was informed of the responsibilities and duties and was asked would I be able to handle the tasks of the position. Then I was asked why should they hire me, my location, what bank I use for direct deposits and how would I like to be paid “weekly or bi-weekly” and can I work long hours or flexible hours. Then they proceeded to tell me I got the job and I passed the hiring score with a 8 out of ten. Then I was sent a text with a list of materials I would need to work from home. I asked if I needed to purchase all those materials and why is there a certain laptop required. They responded back saying those materials are needed for the job and they will send me a check to purchase the items. I responded great how will I receive the check and there was no more responses.
N. Powlowski on Scampulse.com
All these are examples of advance fee scam and are quite common with fake employment. Once you make the payment, the scammers would disappear and cease all communication with you.
Yearly, thousands of job seekers fall prey to job scams, especially remote job offers. So how do you stay protected? what are the red flags of job scams?
Warning Signs of Job Scams
1 – Unsolicited Recruitment Text
Received an unsolicited job offer via WhatsApp, text message or email? There’s a likelihood that it’s a scam, especially if it came from a company you’ve never applied to. Legit companies wouldn’t send you job texts out of the blues. There’s always a due process for hiring.
2- Too Good To Be True Pay
This is one of the very first red flags. It’s true we all like the idea of being paid high, but when the quoted pay is far above what the industry normally pays, you need to pause. If they’re promising to pay higher than the market rate, tread with caution. Sometimes they might promise unrealistic work hours with no specific skill for huge pay, making the job look irresistible. That’s just a bait with which to entice their victims.
3 – Conducts a Shallow Interview
The interview process is always a dead giveaway. It’s always quick and short, without any depth. Then you’re told you’ve been hired. Most times, the interview is hosted on Signal App or Telegram, via text messages with just an acting HR.
No legitimate business or company would hire an employee without a thorough interview to ascertain if they indeed meet the criteria.
4 – Requests for a Fee
If after the interview and onboarding, you’re asked to pay an amount of money, then it’s a scam. This fee could either be labelled ‘Application fee’ or ‘Upgrade fee’. Whatever name it’s called, legit companies don’t collect money from employees.
What to Do If you fell for this Fake Job Offer
If you’ve already submitted your personal details and CV to the crooks behind this fake employment offer. You should do the following;
Enroll in identity theft monitoring services
Identity protection services like Experian or Aura monitor databases that collect different types of information. When you enroll with them, you’d receive an alert notifying you of suspicious activities like –
- a change of address request
- court or arrest records
- orders for new utility, cable, or wireless services
- an application for a payday loan, etc.
Experian.com for example, has a basic Identity Theft monitoring plan which is free. I advise that you sign up for it, if you can’t afford the premium plan which is $24.99 monthly.
Alert your Bank of the Fraudulent Transaction
If you fell for the equipment vendor plot and made the payment using your account, immediately notify your bank. Send screenshots of the conversations between you and the criminal, payment receipt, etc.
You should also request for a chargeback if it’s possible to recover your money.
Spread Awareness of the Ongoing Scam
It’s very important that you inform people of your experience with the crooks impersonating Conformal Medical. You could do this on Forums, or even Threads like Reddit. This would help prevent others from being victims of the scam.
You can also go a step further by reporting the scam to government authorities like – FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (www.ic3.gov). This would make them put up a notice warning the public of the scam.
Conclusion
Clark Marten Photography job offer that insists you to pay for working materials with the promise of sending you a check should be treated as scam and disregarded. Employment scammers are becoming smarter lately – they go as far as impersonating reputable companies, making job seekers think they’re the real deal. However, it’s all part of their scheme. Once they’ve established the trust, they’d proceed in their scam which could be disguised as ‘equipment fee’ ‘training fee’ ‘upgrade fee’ etc.
When approached by a job recruiter either online or offline, the first thing to do is research the company and the job opportunity. Find the company on the internet and review their online presence, including their social media. Enter the company’s name and the word “scam” on search engine, paste the email address too to find out if it has been flagged as scam.
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