The setting:
I had responded to several job-postings on various websites, in this case careerbuilder.com.
The way that website works is that you can post a resume with them, when you wnt to apply for listed job, they email the employer linking to your resume and provide your email to the employer.
In response to my response to a posting I received this email:
Thank you for applying to the opening '', this position is listed in Phoenix, Arizona with an average pay of $.
We have completed our review of submitted applications, and are happy to inform you that you have been accepted by our client for a further interview.
This stage closes on Friday, March 7th at 9pm, submissions after this date will not be accepted. Follow the link below to book your interview:
andersonandbryant.com/interview.php?applicantid=<long string of letter and digits>
The online submission should take no longer than fifteen minutes. We advise that you complete it on a computer/laptop, rather than a cell phone/tablet to ensure compatibility. You may only complete the request once; incomplete submissions will not be accepted. You will receive a further confirmation email containing your chosen details within a couple of days.
Thanks,
Susan Bryant
Human Resources
Anderson & Bryant
http://www.andersonandbryant.com
Check our website for your closest office.
"
Note the deadline: exactly one day after I replied to the posting on careerbuilder.com.
Anyway, I follow the link, some weird questions (though not weirder than what actual employers ask, so looked legit up to that point).
Then a page that tells me that to verify that I am allowed to work in the USA they need a credit report.
RED FLAG here: a credit report does not tell anyone whether you are authorized for work. There are exactly two ways to prove that: your SSN card with no restrictions printed on it, and (if you are an alien/permanent resident) your Alien Card (formerly known as Green Card).
The instructions tell you to follow a link and download your report, then enter the reference number issued into the website and continue with setting up your appointment.
The link goes to creditreport.com, another scam operation that sells you the credit report the credit bureaus have to provide you for free by law (packaged into a subscription of dubious value).
I'm not sure how this scam works exactly: a setup by creditreport.com to sell their useless product to people desperate for jobs? Or some kickback (there is a referer ID passed on when you follow the link)?
I tried to find out more about this supposedly internationally acting company but none of the search engines even finds them. One should expect lots of hits from a company operating in over 100 countries.
BurnedOnce
Peoria,#2Author of original report
Mon, March 17, 2014
The website does not exist anymore. While it was up I traced it and found that it was hidden behind a domain-hider (yes, that is a service available: hide your true domain).
Still not certain about how it works in detail; I haven't found anything about an Affiliate Program from creditreport.com, but one possibility is that creditreport.com outsorced sales and that the outsorcer set that up to produce sign-up numbers.