Victim Location 78245
Type of a scam Employment
I was contacted on my cell phone via text. He said his name was Matthew Wayne from Walker’s Food Products and if I wanted to undergo an online interview. I applied at Walker’s Food Products for a position advertised on Indeed.com as Administrative Assistant and Customer Service Representative. The position offered PAID training and the salary was $25 an hour. . Medical benefits, Sick Leave 401K/Retirement plan. It was for a remote position only, part time or full time.
He texted if I had Google Hangout which I did not and he said I should download it on my cell to do an online interview with Mrs. Patt Donald (Interview Manager), email is [email protected], and to state my name and location.
Ok, so I did. He asked for my google email so she could contact me through Google Hangouts. I gave it.
She contacted me and began texting me interview questions via Google Hangouts. Legitimate interview questions which I answered. She said she would forward my answers to the company. The next day she said to check my google email. I did. It showed that I got the job. And attached was a W-4 form, an Emergency Contact Form, a form to list my education, Employee Eligibility Verification, US Dept. of Labor, and a job offer/acceptance letter. I filled them out and emailed them back to her.
Then, she said they were going to send me $2300 to buy a MacBook and "softwares" that I can use for this position and that I must have an office. I do. She wanted to send this money to my bank account right away so I could start on February 5, 2021.
I asked her to send it to me in a check and asked why she needed to send it to my bank. She said it was faster and easier for me to get the money. I was not comfortable with that. She asked if I could buy gift cards at Walmart in the amount of $500. I asked why. She said so that I could get the Macbook and "softwares" products sent out to me with the $2300 check right away. I told her I did not have $500. She said she would contact me on Monday. Today is Monday.
I called the number on their website and left a voice mail that I want to verify that I was offered a position at their company for Remote Administrative Assistant and that I wanted to verify that this was not a scam. I still have not heard from them.
The website looks legitimate. The only thing is that a customer cannot order their products online because there is no menu to select and order. There is not cart.
The site shows pictures of their location, and their products, but no prices. And it shows the following information:
Walker’s Fresh Foods opened our doors in 1947 with a family potato salad recipe and a few sacks of spuds. Building upon the success of our Original Potato Salad, today Walker’s produces a diverse line of over one hundred refrigerated salads, sides, dips, and desserts. Our customers include independent and multi-unit restaurants, grocers, and foodservice distributers from coast to coast. In addition to our own tried and true recipes, Walker’s specializes in partnering with our customers to develop and produce innovative private label products.
They have [email protected] and 816 472-8121 as contact information. They say they have offices in Chicago, ILL.
They now have my personal information: birthdate, SSN, family members’ names and cell phone numbers and my education.