Complaint Review: Integra Ventures Limited - Internet

I was contacted by Priscilla More through Careerbuilders.com for a work-at-home customer service position with IVL. Since I have been looking for work for three years and am somewhat disabled, this seemed like a dream come true but I also knew that there are scams out there so I tread cautiously.

Before accepting I researched the company online and found several articles about them and their website showing that they had been in business for about 5 years. I also checked the BBB website which came up empty. I next checked with my Rehab dept. to see if they knew anything. At first I was told it had to be a scam but later was told they were legit.

I finally accepted employment with the understanding that I was going to be answering emails from my computer at home. This was for a trial period of one month. They were also willing to work around my class schedule and very accommodating of any time I needed to take off.

When I received and read my "first" training manual I was not comfortable with what it said. I was doing nothing with emails except keeping in touch with my personal manager, Cindy Byron, but instead I was to wait for wire transfers to come into my checking account and then wire them overseas. I let her know that I was not comfortable with using my own account for this and was told that if I opened a new account I would receive a $100 bonus.

I found out on my second day of work that any day I was not completing a "task" I was only getting paid for 4 hours even though I was required to check in every hour. I only found that out because I pushed to know what my wages would be for that week.

More than a week after the wire was supposed to have gone into my account it finally showed up. Sandy may have had something to do with it, but can't be blamed for all of it. And each day Cindy was after me to call the bank and find out if it was there even though I was checking online.

I had been under the impression that I would transfer it out through the bank, but when it did finally arrive I was instructed to take it to the Money Gram store in Walmart. I was to send it to the Ukraine and it was not to say it was for land purchase but for personal use to ovoid additional paperwork and delays. The amount was for $2015; $15 to cover the incoming transfer fee, $400 for my pay, $1400 for the new transfer and the leftover as a bonus.

Being asked to take it to the MG store instead of doing it at my bank didn't sit right nor did the rest of the instructions. I had decided on my way that I would be finding the local FBI office once done and seeing what they had to say. Fortunately for me the MG employee asked if I knew the people it was going to and when I said no she started asking questions. I handed her my sheet of instructions and she checked with her manager. She came back and told me it WAS a scam and that if it was sent I would be out the funds because the bank would end up reversing the transfer into my account.

I could not find a local FBI so stopped at the police dept. and they didn't seem too concerned. They also said that if I did report it to the FBI it would probably get kicked back to them.

I took the money back to the bank and deposited it. Explained what happened and they contacted their audit dept. It was determined that it was a fraudulent wire. Of course during this time Cindy had been trying to call me for an update and when I did talk to her she played innocent and said I should have called her and that they were just more cautious because of 9/11.

During the week of more that it took for the funds to finally reverse out of my account Cindy was in constant contact with me wanting updates. Once it was finally done I stopped hearing from her. That was last Fri. She kept assuring me that once it was taken care of I would be sent my pay. Today the system I logged into is no longer functioning, neither is their website. They owe me more than $1000.

But I am thankful that I am only out $15, gas and time and some dignity. I hope this helps to keep others from being taken advantage of.