Complaint Review: Byword Electronics

I applied for a position on Career Builder. The company name was not listed at that time. I filled out the application and they asked me for my SSN. I thought this was odd. This was done in August of 2011. I received an email August 27th 2011 asking me to fill out an "application." I did this and returned it.  This application email contained an overview of the company as well as the job description of the position. I then received a third email on Sept 5th 2011. Below is the email: We    have   reviewed  your  application  and resume and would like to schedule    an    interview    with   you on next two business days. You should  expect  our   call   during business hours, around lunch time. Please confirm if it is ok for you.

 Sincerely yours, Andrea French / HR department  
Byword Electronics 2, Kobmagergade DK-1153
 Copenhagen DENMARK  
Tel: 45 898 80425 ext 115 /Fax: 45 898 80426 U.S. toll-free: Tel: (800) 652 5403 ext 115 / Fax: (800) 652-0587 E-mail: hr@bywordelectronics.com Web: www.bywordelectronics.com ____________________________________________________________________________  This company sounded legit and I pulled up their US website and it seemed legit also. The job was for a Supply Chain Manager (part-time). The offer was for 3-4 hours a day. Below is a summary of the position that I was sent along with this "application." Supply Chain Manager Position Summary In order to meet the need in qualified personnel Byword Electronics is looking for candidates to take the position of a Supply Chain Manager. The position provides with a part-time employment with 2 months probation period. The time youll need for this period is about 3-4 hours per day, Mon-Fri, but you may be also required to work on Saturdays upon special request. The final working schedule is will be discussed and settled with a Supervisor. The position we offer is home-based, so there's no need to relocate. Youll have to communicate mostly by phone and email. This position is remote, no relocation will be required and thus it implies ability to work under remote supervision, high level of responsibility and punctuality, and excellent communicational skills. Duties and Responsibilities Establish cooperative working relationship with account management, project management, quality management, human resources, legal, and finance Perform price analysis and supplier search, consider price of the product, quality, availability, and technical support to achieve optimum price value Develop and increase successful business relations with selected supplier Receive and process purchase requests External communication and contracts with suppliers domestic and international Organize shipment of the acquired equipment to requester by use of forwarding companies and postal services Coordinate all current activities with the Supervisor and report completed/pending orders and/or shipments Obtain funds for purchasing activities by submitting on time funds allocation requests During the probation period the employee will receive training to acquire necessary skills and knowledge to ensure effective work of the Supply Chain Department. The training is free and will be held distantly by Supervisor during probation period. All assignments, instructions, requests and training matters will be carried out via internet, emails and phone calls. And it means that the candidate must have free access to these communication means. Salary and Benefits: The employee will have a fixed salary of $3,500 /month (2,000 USD during probation period). It will be sent on bi-weekly basis to employee's account. The month payment period starts from the day the Employment Agreement is signed and sent by the employee. The company will provide the Supply Agent with funds for purchasing activities, pay taxes and cover all related expenses during the whole time of employment. There is no start up fee, direct or indirect charges. There is a unique system of bonuses in our company, based on the monthly rankings of each employee from the junior manager finishing top managers of our company. You won't be depended on relations between you and your superiors as it happens in many businesses. Your bonuses and career growth will depend only on volume of work performed, accuracy and speed of decisions you have made. ____________________________________________________________________________ I looked up the domain name and this website was set up July 2011. Byword Electronics claims that they have been in business for 46 years. The domain name actually goes to a Number Roberts at 15804 Cotton Tail Court in Woodbridge, VA 22191. The phone number listed for the domain name is 703 680 5042. When you call that number you get a generic answering machine. After seeing that their US website was only a month and 1/2 old I started doing some research on the internet. I then found this same information for a Maxwell Electronics and a Zend Electronics. This position mirrors the Supply Chain Manager position that Maxwell Electronics and Zend Electronics has. In fact-Maxwell Electronics and Zend Electronics also claim to be located in Denmark. Byword Electronics also claims to have an office in Switzerland.  The job description is almost word for word as Maxwell and Zend. The HR person's name has changed and the domain name is registered out of Virginia now instead of Las Vegas. They also are using a different website. It appears that this company is doing the same scam over and over but they keep changing the company name (probably because they were busted buy the FBI). Their phone numbers are almost exactly the same but they changed the last digit on their new Supply Chain Manager Position under the Byword Electronics name. The monthly amount that you are "paid" is the same and the hours worked are the same. The probation period of two months is also the same. The locations are the same as Maxwell and Zend Electronics. This is a scam. These people do not exist. They will ask you for your SSN when you apply through Career Builder and on the "application" they send you they ask you for your date of birth. They are almost home free. They claim to have an office in Switzerland just like Maxwell Electronics and Zend Electronics do. The job descriptions match perfectly. Beware. This position could be located "anywhere." According to all the reports that were written on Maxwell Electronics and Zend Electronics these people commit identify theft. They have your SSN and your DOB.