Commissioner Burke Warns CareerBuilder.com Users of E-mail Scam

Banking Commissioner John P. Burke advised Connecticut residents who have posted their resume on CareerBuilder.com to be leery if they receive an e-mail from a business called Void Computers Inc. The company claims to be a software corporation in Latvia that is recruiting partners in the United States to conduct banking transactions on its behalf. This is in fact a scam.

Commissioner Burke said, "The Department of Banking recently received complaints from individuals who were contacted via e-mail by Void Computers Inc. The e-mail states that the company found the individual's resume on CareerBuilder.com, and offers a potentially lucrative partnership accepting invoice payments. These so-called invoice payments, however, are actually phony checks and the supposed partnership turns out to be a fraud. Luckily, these individuals contacted us and did not fall victim."

The con occurs when a person unknowingly accepts counterfeit cashier's checks. In this case, Void Computers Inc. enlists 'financial representatives' to cash bank checks on their behalf. The person is told to keep 10 percent and transfer the remaining 90 percent back to Void Computers via Western Union or Money Gram.

"As the depositor of the phony check, that person is liable to the bank for the amount of those funds," explained Commissioner Burke. The check clearing process could take several weeks, and it may not be until sometime later that the bank notifies the person the check is phony. By this time the company has gotten away with stealing that person's money.

Commissioner Burke recommends, "Listen to your instincts. If something about a business transaction doesn't feel right, it probably isn't. No one wants to give free money."

If you have received this type of e-mail contact the Consumer Affairs Division of the Department of Banking, at 1-800-831-7225. You may also check out the Department's Web site for more information regarding fraudulent cashier's checks.