Fraud Advisory for Consumers: Involvement in Criminal Activity through Work from Home Scams

Consumers continue to lose money from work-from-home scams that assist cyber criminals move stolen funds. Worse yet, due to their deliberate or unknowing participation in the scams, these individuals may face criminal charges.

Work-from-home scam victims are often recruited by organized cyber criminals through newspaper ads, online employment services, unsolicited emails or “spam”,¹ and social networking sites advertising work-from-home opportunities. Once recruited, however, rather than becoming an employee of a legitimate business, the consumer is actually a “mule” for cyber criminals who use the consumer’s or other victim's accounts to steal and launder money. In addition, the consumer’s own identity or account may be compromised by the cyber criminals.

Example of a Work-From-Home Scheme:

• An individual applies for a position as a rebate or payments processor² through an online job site or through an unsolicited email.
• As a new employee, the individual is asked to provide his/her bank account information to his/her employer or to establish a new account using information provided by the employer.
• Funds are deposited into the account that the employee is instructed to wire to a third (often
international) account. The employee is instructed to deduct a percentage of the wired
amount as their commission.
• However, rather than processing rebates or processing payments, the individual is actually
participating in a criminal activity by laundering stolen funds through his/her own account or a newly established account.

In February 2010, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) coordinated with state law enforcement officials and other federal agencies to announce a sweeping crack down on job and work-from-home fraud schemes fueled by the economic downturn. Individuals who are knowing or unknowing participants in this type of scheme could be prosecuted.

Protect Yourself:

• Be wary of work-from-home opportunities. Research the legitimacy of the company through the Better Business Bureau³ (for US-based companies) or WHOIS/Domain Tools⁴ (for international companies) before providing personal or account information and/or agreeing to work for them. In addition, TrustedSource.org can help you identify companies that may be maliciously sending spam based on the volume of email sent from their Internet Protocol (IP)⁵ addresses. See also the FTC’s recommendations⁶.
• Be cautious about any opportunities offering the chance to work from home with very little work or prior experience. Remember: if it looks too good to be true, it usually is.
• Never pay for the privilege of working for an employer. Be suspicious of opportunities that require you to pay for things up front, such as supplies and other materials.
• Never give your bank account details to anyone unless you know and trust them.
• If you think you may be a victim of one of these scams, contact your financial institution
immediately. Report any suspicious work-from-home offers or activities to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)⁷ at http://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx.

For more information, visit:
• PhishBucket.org, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting job seekers fromfraudulent job offers.
• OnGuardOnline.org. Sponsored by the FTC, this site provides practical tips from the
federal government and the technology industry to help you be on guard against Internet
fraud, secure your computer, and protect your personal information.
• Better Business Bureau, http://www.bbb.org/us/article/work-at-home-schemes-408.

¹ Cyber criminals may also spoof a legitimate business to entice you into opening the email, which may contain a fraudulent application for information or malware.
² Other common job titles for these schemes include trading partner or currency trader.
³ http://www.bbb.org/
⁴http://www.domaintools.com/
⁵An IP address identifies the company’s website host or network interface and location.
⁶http://www.onguardonline.gov/topics/email-scams.aspx#3
⁷The IC3 is a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C), and the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA).


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The Real Estate Book Introduces Powerful Search Tool for House Hunters on the Go, Launches App for iPhone, iTouch, iPad

(BUSINESS WIRE)--More Americans are relying on their mobile devices to access information, quickly and easily. The number of people who sought local information on their smart phones grew 51% last year, with the fastest growing method of accessing this info through downloaded apps.*

For on-the-go home buyers, The Real Estate Book / RealEstateBook.com, the leading publisher of real estate information online and in print in North America, launches a new application that provides iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad users with access to all its listings – millions of homes for sale across the U.S. and around the world. With its latest offering, The Real Estate Book delivers a one-stop marketing solution for agents and brokers to reach home buyers and sellers through their local The Real Estate Book, a network of online listing sites, social media tools, direct mail and now an iPhone app.

“We’re always looking to expand our media offerings for real estate agents and brokers to give them a competitive edge”

“We’re always looking to expand our media offerings for real estate agents and brokers to give them a competitive edge,” says Todd Walker, senior vice president of sales and operations. “With our multi-channel marketing solution, they can go into a listing presentation and show the seller how by advertising with The Real Estate Book, they are reaching more prospective buyers than agents who just use an online-only, one-dimensional, channel to market their home.”

The Real Estate Book iPhone app features the millions of property listings for sale across the U.S. and the world available on RealEstateBook.com. The application, available as a free download from Apple’s online App Store, enhances the user experience, offering a suite of features including:

* Search for home listings by city and state/province or zip/postal code
* Map and receive directions to property listings from current location
* View property details and photos of home listings
* Save favorites and share or write notes and attach photos about properties that can be emailed or viewed later
* Email or call the Real Estate Agent directly from the listing
* View past searches and perform advanced searching by bedroom/bath, price, MLS #, or property type

Scott Dixon, president of Network Communication Inc.’s Real Estate Division adds, “Agents today are inundated with marketing options and can spend enormous amounts of time sifting through them. We seek to make it easy and efficient for them to gain the most exposure for their listings. Our new iPhone app delivers on our commitment to drive more leads and the best value to our advertisers.”

To download the The Real Estate Book iPhone application, visit: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-real-estate-book/id379869228?mt=8

The Real Estate Book has been helping real estate professionals connect with buyers and sellers for over 30 years. Available in print and online in over 400 markets across the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean, The Real Estate Book delivers credible, proven results to its advertisers who benefit from a wealth of experience and an integrated media platform that showcases their listings in a variety of ways. With 8 million magazines in print every 4 weeks, The Real Estate Book gets nearly 2 million unique visitors on its Web site, www.RealEstateBook.com, and features thousands of homes for sale, new home communities, and local information.

* comScore, June 2009

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