Case Description:
I contacted an Alibaba.com member named Rick Larson. He promised that he could get work permits to Canada for 105 of my clients. In February 2007, I paid him US$150 per client (US$15,750 in total).From the start, he promised that the processing time was only going to be 2 weeks. I have now been waiting for more than 6 months without getting any results. I can see that, for the past 9 months, he has been sending me fake information. I asked him to refund all the money I paid because it's now very clear that he was cheating me. In addition, I have been facing many problems from the 105 clients and have refunded the money they paid me from my own pocket.
Rick Larson did not send me any documents and did not refund my money. I discovered he is using a fake address for his company by asking a friend in Canada to visit the company address. It was totally wrong and the address was for a Chinese restaurant who have never heard of Rick Larson.
Case Analysis:
Method
Some scammers pretend to be legal immigration agents who can provide legal work permits to other countries. In reality, they are not authorised immigration agents at all.
Avoid Fraud
Re: Fraud Case Study 16 - Fake Immigration Agents
by Remus on 01 Jun 2008 20:35
Quoting from [Safe Trading Admin]:Case Description:
I contacted an Alibaba.com member named Rick Larson. He promised that he could get work permits to Canada for 105 of my clients. In February 2007, I paid him US$150 per client (US$15,750 in total).From the start, he promised that the processing time was only going to be 2 weeks. I have now been waiting for more than 6 months without getting any results. I can see that, for the past 9 months, he has been sending me fake information. I asked him to refund all the money I paid because it's now very clear that he was cheating me. In addition, I have been facing many problems from the 105 clients and have refunded the money they paid me from my own pocket.
Rick Larson did not send me any documents and did not refund my money. I discovered he is using a fake address for his company by asking a friend in Canada to visit the company address. It was totally wrong and the address was for a Chinese restaurant who have never heard of Rick Larson.
Case Analysis:
Method
Some scammers pretend to be legal immigration agents who can provide legal work permits to other countries. In reality, they are not authorised immigration agents at all.
Avoid Fraud
- Be cautious. Generally, these agents will guarantee a work permit for your clients, and charge the application fee in advance. However, they don't ask for detailed information on the applicants. e.g. Résumé, Certification or work experience information. This information is very important when applying for a work visa program.
- When applying for a visa through foreign agencies, make sure to check if the person you are dealing with is genuine. In this case, it would be possible to check with the Canadian Government to find out whether the agent is an authorized immigration agent who can process work permits.
- It is also very important to check the background information of your potential business partners. In Canada, you can use the Canada Postal Code Address Look Up service. This will, at least, tell you that a company exists at the address provided. You can also search on the Internet or ask on the Alibaba.com Community Forum.
- Investigating potential business partners is essential to avoid being a victim of Internet Fraud.
For something this important you find a real company and a reputable one. Don't try to save money it's not worth the headache.
Why would you even consider find an immigration agent on alibaba?
Crazy!!!
Re: Fraud Case Study 16 - Fake Immigration Agents
by Lattifah on 16 Jun 2008 08:10
Quoting from [Safe Trading Admin]:Case Description:
I contacted an Alibaba.com member named Rick Larson. He promised that he could get work permits to Canada for 105 of my clients. In February 2007, I paid him US$150 per client (US$15,750 in total).From the start, he promised that the processing time was only going to be 2 weeks. I have now been waiting for more than 6 months without getting any results. I can see that, for the past 9 months, he has been sending me fake information. I asked him to refund all the money I paid because it's now very clear that he was cheating me. In addition, I have been facing many problems from the 105 clients and have refunded the money they paid me from my own pocket.
Rick Larson did not send me any documents and did not refund my money. I discovered he is using a fake address for his company by asking a friend in Canada to visit the company address. It was totally wrong and the address was for a Chinese restaurant who have never heard of Rick Larson.
Case Analysis:
Method
Some scammers pretend to be legal immigration agents who can provide legal work permits to other countries. In reality, they are not authorised immigration agents at all.
Avoid Fraud
Why do you want to send money that much? When I deal with an employment agency overseas, to know if he/she is genuine and legal is by telling him/her that I am going to her country to sign a service agreement with her, to submit all the CVs and to pay her personally in front of an attorney.
- Be cautious. Generally, these agents will guarantee a work permit for your clients, and charge the application fee in advance. However, they don't ask for detailed information on the applicants. e.g. Résumé, Certification or work experience information. This information is very important when applying for a work visa program.
- When applying for a visa through foreign agencies, make sure to check if the person you are dealing with is genuine. In this case, it would be possible to check with the Canadian Government to find out whether the agent is an authorized immigration agent who can process work permits.
- It is also very important to check the background information of your potential business partners. In Canada, you can use the Canada Postal Code Address Look Up service. This will, at least, tell you that a company exists at the address provided. You can also search on the Internet or ask on the Alibaba.com Community Forum.
- Investigating potential business partners is essential to avoid being a victim of Internet Fraud.
If he/she gives me unreasonable excuses, then i know he/she is fake aka scamer!!!!
1 agent in Canada gave me the reason that he will be away for a very long time until no certain date on the date of my "supposed" arrival in Ontario. Hahahaha ... if he will be absent for a long time from his office, what will happen to his business? Recruitment and employment agency is daily running business ...
Re: Fraud Case Study 16 - Fake Immigration Agents
by Lattifah on 16 Jun 2008 08:33
Quoting from [Safe Trading Admin]:Case Description:
I contacted an Alibaba.com member named Rick Larson. He promised that he could get work permits to Canada for 105 of my clients. In February 2007, I paid him US$150 per client (US$15,750 in total).From the start, he promised that the processing time was only going to be 2 weeks. I have now been waiting for more than 6 months without getting any results. I can see that, for the past 9 months, he has been sending me fake information. I asked him to refund all the money I paid because it's now very clear that he was cheating me. In addition, I have been facing many problems from the 105 clients and have refunded the money they paid me from my own pocket.
Rick Larson did not send me any documents and did not refund my money. I discovered he is using a fake address for his company by asking a friend in Canada to visit the company address. It was totally wrong and the address was for a Chinese restaurant who have never heard of Rick Larson.
Case Analysis:
Method
Some scammers pretend to be legal immigration agents who can provide legal work permits to other countries. In reality, they are not authorised immigration agents at all.
Avoid Fraud
That Rick Larson was so angry at me when I told him to stop giving me misleading information about the works he was offering. As a recruitment and employment agency since 20 years ago, sure I will ask a lot of questions, and I always demanding for accurate and positive responds. Unclear responds, show me that the person either inexperience or only want to take the registration money
- Be cautious. Generally, these agents will guarantee a work permit for your clients, and charge the application fee in advance. However, they don't ask for detailed information on the applicants. e.g. Résumé, Certification or work experience information. This information is very important when applying for a work visa program.
- When applying for a visa through foreign agencies, make sure to check if the person you are dealing with is genuine. In this case, it would be possible to check with the Canadian Government to find out whether the agent is an authorized immigration agent who can process work permits.
- It is also very important to check the background information of your potential business partners. In Canada, you can use the Canada Postal Code Address Look Up service. This will, at least, tell you that a company exists at the address provided. You can also search on the Internet or ask on the Alibaba.com Community Forum.
- Investigating potential business partners is essential to avoid being a victim of Internet Fraud.
Fraud case study 20 - big purchase order trap
Author: Safe Trading Admin
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