Job seekers, beware of conmen or you’ll be fleeced

Mar 02, 2005

With the increase in the unemployment rate, job seekers need to be more careful in their attempt to find jobs to avoid getting fleeced.

By John kamya
With the increase in the unemployment rate, job seekers need to be more careful in their attempt to find jobs to avoid getting fleeced.

The Police are investigating Sea Cruise Enterprises, a purportedly shipping company based in Canada after it fleeced people of their money in application processing fees.

The company advertises jobs for people, who want to work on cruise ships and asks for payment of US$98 as application processing fees, after which they cut off contact.

The company attracts its prey by placing adverts in local newspapers announcing juicy jobs such as administrative staff, cooks, stewards, cruise staff and computer operators.

They provide their address as 1930 Yonge Street, Suite 1020, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4S 1Z4 together with phone numbers, e-mail and website addresses, which make it look genuine.

Their website,
www.seacruiseseent.com is pasted with photographs of the company’s activities and people testifying of how the company has enabled them change their lives.

Visiting it convinces one that they are dealing with a genuine potential employer.
When one makes contact with the company, they bombard them with impressive offers.

“We are writing to thank you for interest in the Cruise industry and to let you know that your application for cruise ship employment has been accepted.

This programme was especially designed to assist people to get an exciting and well-paying job on a luxury ship. You will enjoy a tax-free income ranging from $2000 to $4000 per month plus bonuses working on board cruise ships all over the world,” states part of their letter to Simon, a victim.

After exciting their victims, they direct them to follow the instructions as they fill in the form attached.

Some of the instructions are as follows
“Include the evaluation fee of US$ 94 + US$4.00 (shipping and handling) = US$98.00.

Pay the fees by bank drafts, traveller’s cheque/international money order to Sea Cruise Enterprises.”
Victims said after sending the money, they never heard from the company again.

All inquiries sent to them were not responded to.
Officials in the Canadian embassy said they did not have any company registered in that name in their country.
Officials at CID headquarters confirmed receiving such complaints and said they were investigating them.

The Police urged people who have been conned to go to them and give them details.

There has been a rise in cases of international conmen using mainly the Internet to defraud people.
One such case was the Nigerian 419 scam where bogus potential investors seek investment partnerships with locals or seek to transfer their deposits through the accounts of victims in which they are fleeced in the process.

The Police has urged people to be careful when sending their money to such companies.

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