So, is this a scam?

[MattK]

Again and again I am coming across advertisements such as the following:

AIRCRAFT FLIGHT ATTENDANT

For our corporate jet. Training provided. Balto based. Exc salary & bnfs. Call our Employment Dept 1 626-584-4115.

Previous ads have named bases in:
Mobile, Pasadena, Pensacola, Houston

Has anyone found out what 'the deal' is with this company? :shock:

[Betty Boop]

It sure sounds like it!

They probably lure you into an interview & drug you & whisk you away to a foreign country to work as a sex slave. :evil: Or maybe they are multi level marketers! :twisted:

I first started this post and found it strange to say the least how this company continues to search for F/A's.. What I find weird is that when you call the number they have listed, a strange man has a recording stating that they will not leave a message. Now that was the first red flag. Second, at no time does it state the name of the company, or what kind of aircrafts that you would be working on. I personally think it is a scam because, as many corporate flight attendants, or newbies out there searching for employment they would have more than enough candidates. But, again this is just my personal opinion. When I called them back a few months ago they did however, return my call. The man told me they were looking for help in Michigan. Duh.. that is what it stated in the ad. He was very rude ,and told me someone would be calling me back in the week. That week has come and gone for a few months now. He did not sound professional to me in the least. Well, sily me saw another ad not realizing that it was the same company, dialed the number only to hear the same man on the recording again. We all know what I chose to do.

[QueenSahara]

Wow! My dreams are surely dashed now. I saw that same ad for Montgomery, AL. The man called me the same day and he had a scary deep voice. I said someone would call me next week to set up an interview. No one called either. It’s funny, my husband called and left his cell phone number but he never got a return call. What is this man up to? The job did sound too good to be true but I tried anyway. Now that I see it’s a scam I’m glad to know the truth but I feel disappointed that it was bogus. Hey, suppose this man really does drug people or worse? Shouldn’t he be reported to some authority? Thanks for the post.

[madsville]

HMMMM sounds like a HNL and a Hat gig to me

[MattK]

Madsville!!!!

You're back!

HNL and the hat....LOL, you bring back memories. Wonder how 'they' are doing?

*snicker*

:P :P :P

[Joyride]

I did get a return call too. The man was very rude, did not introduce himself nor state the name of the company. When I spoke to him, I asked him if there was an e-mail address or a fax number where I could forward my resume, and he replied, "No, we don't do that." Strangest thing I've ever heard of in my life. He also told me there would be someone calling me back, but I never heard anything either. After all these posts, I'm definitely not losing any sleep over this, but I'm sure wondering what he is up to.

[Ingrid]

It sounds weird to me! How can anyone advertise for their corp. jet located at different airports around the US? He is probably a pimp! :evil:

[JenFA]

I had a similar experience, Very creepy

[MattK]

Viewed on Hotjobs today:AIRCRAFT FLIGHT ATTENDANT for our Corp jet. FT. Training provided. Local based. Xlnt Sal ary & Bnfts! Call 626-584-4115
This must be the 12th ad that I've seen or heard about from our members.

I have a hunch -- I cannot share it online -- about what is going on. If anyone else turns up additional information, feel free to share it here.

[jetster]

Looked the number up on:
http://www.reversephonedirectory.com/

It's an unlisted number (surprise) but it says its located in Pasadena, CA

Isn't that in the LA Valley? Porn capital of the world?? Maybe they are looking for some actors.

Sounds shadier than a palm tree at three...

[MattK]

Thanks, jetster. I wasn't able to get a "look up" when I tried, but you found a better directory.

Your theory is very plausible. I hope no one finds out first hand! :shock:

[ToughCookie2]

I felt I needed to chime in since (1) I've seen this ad too, and found it too good to be true, and (2) I live in the area...

Pasadena is not part of the "porn capital"... the San Fernando Valley is...Pasadena is in the San Gabriel Valley.

When I first saw the ad, I noticed the area code and immediately thought to myself, "the only airport I know in the 626 is very small and the only planes you see there are props..no private jets". I thought "scam" so I never called. It'll be interesting when one of us finally gets to the bottom of all this...

very curious...
ToughCookie2

[Danny Yezbick]

I also came across this and got the same creepy phone call back. I turned the telephone number and the information I had into the Better Business Bureau and they told me they will start investigating immediatly. I asked the woman if she had gotten other complaints but she couldn't say.

I provided her with my email address and she told me they will send me an amail if/when they discover anything. I will post any relivant information when I get it.

[Ingrid]

Dont count on finding much out. These scams come and go and you would best stay away from them. My vote is that this guy like the ladies a little too much if you know what I mean!

[flightcrew]

What do these people expect to gain out of all this? I just don't get it. Even the HNL thing. Training was excellent, supervisors were great. The job did seem to good to be true and I did get a free vacation to HNL out of it but what the heck. Still I don't get it I paid nothing so........... Did they gain anything? :?

[cinderblock]

Flightcrew,

Are you saying these people are somewhat legit. ?

-cinderblock-

[MattK]

I am not sure what is up with this company. Latest ads to run are in Toledo and Charlotte. That brings it to at least 15 different cities around the U.S. since the campaign began to run about two months ago.

This company/person is spending a lot of money for advertising. In each ad they claim that the aircraft is based locally so that would mean they have jets all over the U.S. Only Netjets has that type of coverage and they certainly aren't Netjets.

I have a pair of FAA contacts who might be interested in this, but only if there are legitimate, verifiable complaints. If anyone has something of substance to share, feel free to pm me.

[flightcrew]

Cinderblock,

No, I am not saying the company was legit. To this day I still do not know. I am asking the question (because I got caught up in one) what do these people gain by doing this???

I went in good faith to a "company" who paid my airfare both to and from training, paid hotel bill and upon graduation went to a fantastic and very expensive graduation party. The "supervisors" couldn't have been better! Now, with that in mind ALL EXPENSES paid except for food, what did the company gain? All I can think of is the supervisors got duped too. Again the question is, what did the company gain?

And to all my classmates and the supervisors..... I miss you all, it would have been a hellofva ride!!!!!!!

[MattK]

I received a note from one of our members wondering if the FBI had been contacted regarding this company.

The FBI will not get involved unless a crime has been committed. Almost universally, our community members are reporting a man with a "creepy voice" answering the phone which is causing so much of the consternation. I doubt that the FBI would consider that to be a crime...maybe Miss Manners can work with the poor fellow on his phone etiquette! :wink:

If you suspect that an operator is doing something wrong [like flying charters without a 135 certificate], the best course of action is to call your local FAA FSDO {Flight Standards District Office}. If they can't handle it or think it merits further review, they will contact FAA Region to handle the situation. From previous experience I can tell you that some members of the FAA are very helpful in solving high profile problems.

[tippytoes]

Unfortunately, I really have no hunches. I saw it one moring on Career Builder and wanted to just pass it on.

Has anyone contacted Career Builder's customer service or lawyer department to just inquire if the the posting is legitimate.

Has anyone contacted homeland security as they are advertising for flight crewmembers, if this is not the case, they may be asking for flight information as to who they currently work for and so forth? I still hate to believe it is a scam, could be anything for what we know. And as Ladi posted there is some sort of terrible scam going on at comcast or a company posing as comcast. You can also call a local television show, or an investigative reporter and boy if they find something, will make good news. Has the ad still been around?

tippytoes

[sarajo]

I recently called 626-584-4115 and left a message and a very rude guy called back and said that someone will be calling me back for a interview. This Flight Attendant position was based out of Grand Rapids, MI. He is supposed to be calling me back today but I guess that it sounds like it is a scam. I'm so bummed!!

[MattK]

Hi Sarajo,

Unfortunately, this is the typical m.o. when you call. Makes you wonder even more what he is up to.

I believe the number of cities advertising the job is now about 20. Somebody has deep pockets!

:?

[Betty Boop]

He may be "fishing" for models. Companies like to attract wannabees & lure them in with another "offer" one that doesn't exist.

Not sure why he is so grumpy though! :shock:

[MattK]

Update:

I just had a phone interview with a reporter from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/) concerning this "operator."

According to the reporter, Sarah Bahari, someone in the Fort Worth area paid $300. to this company for training. Unfortunately, she shelled out a money order and the company has kept her money. She filed a police report and then contacted media, that is where this reporter comes in.

In the interview, Sarah asked what I knew about the company and I mentioned that a lot of the members of our site were concerned about the ads which have appeared in over twenty U.S. newspapers the last few months. I mentioned to her that I started a thread [So, is this a scam?] to ferret out from our members any information that they knew.

Sarah wanted to know what other steps were being taken and I mentioned to her that we were all watching and waiting. I told her that someone would likely contact the FAA if the matter turned out to be a scam. It looks like it has!

I also was able to explain to Sarah that the Corporate Flight Attendant Community just recently celebrated its third anniversary and that we are an independent site primarily consisting of business flight attendants. Of course she asked and I gladly volunteered this information! :wink:

An article related to the scam will appear in this Saturday's edition of the newspaper. So, maybe we can read all about it online!

I'll keep everyone posted should additional information surface.

Regards,
MattK

[mary patton]

Wow! My dreams of getting back into flying are now dented. I saw that same ad for San Diego . The man called me the same day and he had a scary deep voice. I said someone would call me next week to set up an interview. No one called either. I would like to know what is this man up to as well? The job did sound too good to be true but I tried anyway. Now that I see it’s a scam I’m glad to know the truth but I feel disappointed that it was bogus. Hey, suppose this man really does drug people or worse? Shouldn’t he be reported to some authority? Thanks for the post. I hope that the interview in the Fort-worth star will be posted so we can all see it.

[sarajo]

The guy actually ended up calling me back several times and I talked to him. I already new it was a scam but I went along with it to see what would happen. He ended up offering to fly me to LA for the day to interview. I obviously didn't go but it is very strange and I hope that people out there are very careful!!

[Jerseygirl]

Hi, all. Many years ago--maybe in 1995, a friend of mine who worked in corporate aviation phoned me and let me know there was an ad in the Sunday New York Times, looking for flight attendants. I had already been through FACTS training and was about to start doing some freelance work.

I phoned the 800# in the ad and I got an answering machine. I don't remember a gruff voice, but the person (a man) phoned me the next day. He asked some questions about my background and training and then he mentioned they had two Challengers and a Gulftream and they were looking to hire full time at a decent pay (not phenomenal) plus benefits, etc. He said he had other candidates to call, but that he would get back with me the following day.

The next day, he phoned and said he would need to meet with me, in person. He said his company was based in Chicago and he'd need me to fly out for a day. I was mildly receptive, but cautious. It was in the time before intenet and "googling" companies so I decided to wait and see.

I guess he felt he had reeled me in because he called back to say that the meeting would be "all expenses paid" BUT his company was having trouble with their "corporate airline account." He explained that there was a lot of airlining involved in the job and they had set up accounts with various airlines....BUT something was wrong with the accounting. He said he needed me to WIRE him $400 Western Union. He insisted that it was key that his company PAY for the ticket and they needed to physically book the ticket through their own travel agent (again, the days before booking your own flight online). He further insisted that he would repay me--in cash--when I arrived in Chicago. He was sorry for the inconvenience, but he insisted that was how it had to be done.

I told him it all sounded way too complicated and I was not interested. I later phoned my friend who had tipped me off about the ad and she said another friend had a worse experience.....she had also gone through the interview-by-phone over the same course of days I had. Apparently, she fell fo the line about their corporate account not working and she DID wire the money.

She showed up at Newark for her flight, since she'd been told a ticket would be waiting for her at the ticket counter, and the airline had never heard of her. IT WAS A SCAM!

We tried contacting the police. There was no way to track the money wire. He'd provided a password instead of a name so she wired the money to a name like Jetset or something involving aviation. The moneyy had long since been claimed by the thief and there was nothing anyone could do.

This scam made me think back to that scam. I think it's odd that someone should target such a specialized field. There are damn few corporate flight attendants and sure, some wannabes, but if you were trying to make a boatload of money, why not advertise for a more mainstream field? Why private aviation? And I am not judging, but why is anybody, in this day and age, sending money orders to ANY company in hopes of a job?

I sure hope this scam is stopped and thanks, Matt, for participating and for giving us all a heads up! :D

[MattK]

Thanks for the interesting story, Jerseygirl. Glad you weren't reeled in.

The ad is actually for an "Airline Flight Attendant" on a corporate jet. Although I haven't mentioned it, I have received several personal messages from furloughed commercial flight attendants -- there are tons of them -- who expressed varying levels of interest in the position. While I was cautious to actually call the job a scam, I did suggest as much when I titled this thread and told the same to the inquirers. Our worst thoughts have been realized, unfortunately, for at least one individual.

Last year I warned people about the HNL "opportunity" and I stated then that it was a scam. One of the two individuals involved threatened to sue me -- yeah, go ahead -- and a couple of people were ticked off with my comments and went anyway. Well, to make a long story short nothing panned out the way it was supposed to have panned out. A member of the FAA was reading our board [haven't I told people that we have a lot of interesting folks lurking here? 8) ] and contacted me. Let's just say things really got going after that and the FAA shut the operation down.

Hmmm...that reminds me...I do have that FAA contact name and number somewhere. Chances are he has already read this thread!

:mrgreen:

[Jerseygirl]

Thanks for the explanation, Matt. It still shows me, though, that it's someone with their finger on the pulse of corporate aviation....most outsiders wouldn't know to advertise for flight attendants on private jets or corporate jets. In the years before I began flying, I never gave a thought to the fact that many, many of these planes employ flight attendants....ya know what I mean? Your average factory worker or non aviation person would never know this group existed---much less to "target" them. :?

I can understand your reluctance to call a scam a scam....prematurely. Most people who have been in and around aviation know that REPUTABLE companies do not blindly advertise and usually the only way IN to a flight department is via someone you know. I don't think any of these "blind ads" can have a legitimate outcome. I do think differently of the above board companies and individuals who post in PUBLIC venues like the job section here, either through you or by posting their own (checkable) information.

If it seems shady, it likely is.....and yes, I hope the FAA is lurking here! It's a great place to read and very informative!!

[Wild Blue]

Hello Matt & Crew!! I'm another lurker coming out to join you. I just saw this thread. WOW. I'm a career jumper and so have been studying up on my future craft. An ad was featured on Careerbuilder this past weekend. Ad was for FA for corporate aircraft etc. etc.. I submitted my resume. Base was listed as Lexington,KY. Called ph#619 area code, message was as follows. International company offering luxury vacation packages for their membership clubs expanding to the U.S.. To be operating in your area (this ad on careerbuilder was for a new Lexington base). Full time position, 5 days on - 3 off, salaried position $850. per week plus benefits. Company would provide transport to and from base to home area. You provide two ph# 1 landline / 1 cell in order for them to return your call. The message continued with saying they would be in touch. The voice on the recording was a man with an attitude. He stated they would NOT leave any messages on voice mail and they Must be able to reach you quickly! The name of the company was never given. Well at this point, needless to say, I was sorry for Cbuilder faxing my online resume (I'm not sure if it went through). The thing that bums me is that they now have my sister-in-laws cell ph# for a contact! I did the same thing and back tracked the ph# to the west coast and it is unlisted. Matt, if you need the Ph# for whatever, I still have it. And to think that was the first time I sent out my brand new resume! OH MY... :roll:

[Check 6]

This scam is a heads up reminder to never ever put your social security number on your resume. This leaves you wide open to identify theft. Now they have your address, phone number, e-mail, and SSN.

I would also recommend that women not use their home address, but to use a PO box.

This "scam" sounds a little dangerous. I was a law enforcement investigator for 21 years until I retired. I phoned the number and listened to the recording. This guy is not what he is pretending to be.

Be safe,

[Wild Blue]

Amen to that Check 6! Thank goodness that I did not provide my SSN. That information I do not put on my resume. Nor do I provide reference information until the face-to-face interview. I would say there is a 99.9% chance this is a scam. The fact they are using Careerbuilder is the most worrisome point to me. Maybe the reason, that I have not heard back from them, is that I did not provide enough infor. to draw their interest.

[DocSullivan]

Good advice about the P.O. Box address. Don't put your SS# -- and don't put your passport number either!!

I have occasionally seen a resume with a passport number on it. It is sufficient to say that you have a valid passport. Period.

[Betty Boop]

I read the article job online this morning. The editor did a hatchet job & left out lots of details. Guess the "watchdog" she was mentioned was our own Matt Keegan! :)

[Wild Blue]

I was reading through Skyjobs.net last night and this `company' had the same job posted on there, dated 8/10. Geez...

[DocSullivan]

I posted a message about this scam in the FA wannabe section of airlinecrew.net (where I am also a moderator).

I suggest that any of you who frequent other aviation message boards regularly do the same. Now that we know about this scam, we all have a collective responsibility to spread the word. :evil:

"Word of mouth" works well, too. Start talkin'..! :wink:

[MattK]

Yeah, I am the "watchdog" they were referencing. Bow wow!

As someone who had emailed me earlier today said: at least they didn't misquote you! For that, I am immensely grateful.

:P

[ShoreLeave]

why doesnt someone bombard them with bogus phone calls so the vm box fills up?
or fax them to death?
or use your best 24-36-24 bimbo voice to give them a little run for their money?

[VingWing]

Shoreleave:

You'll have better luck using your 36-24-36 bimbo voice!!! :) :lol:

[ShoreLeave]

Whoops
I must be a bimbo!

[SBC6978]

I am also a victim of this horrible scam and a laid-off Flight Attendant, too.

These creeps also put the ad in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, and that is the ad I responed to. He identified himself as Dave Lieman, and he said I would have to send him $279 via Western Union to pay for half the airfare. He said someone would be calling me, which of course never happened. He also made his initial call on a Saturday, then again on the following Sunday, and he said I was one out of 12 people to get to proceed with the interview. Now when I call the number, 626-584-4115, you get his nasty voice and a message stating that he is unvailable but will call back at his earliest convienence. I contacted my local paper, and they were given false information as well. Let us pray that this monster will get his share soon.[/b]

[Jerseygirl]

Wow, I don't know if this was a typo, but the man said his last name was "Lieman?" Lie. Man. Very odd.

Sorry you were taken on this scam. Let this be a lesson (an expensive lesson) that no one reputable would have a potental employee pay for HALF the airfare. I don't know where you thought you were airlining, but at twice $279, that would have been an expensive ticket ($560?). I wonder what he would have said if you had offered to buy your own ticket...or said you had an airline voucher. I am sure he wouldn't have gone for that.

This scam is a disgrace. I hope these criminals are caught.

[MattK]

I doubt he will be caught unless he surfaces again. All of our energies will be focused on bigger issues including Katrina evacuees/recovery, Iraq, Homeland Security, etc.

The best way to catch a thug is to set him up. Be careful if you choose this avenue!

[Mawdsley]

About a week ago my sister, who a teacher (non-airline/aviation), told me about a scam that sounds like this one where a person would send money and never get any results. It was a job listing for a corporate flight attendant. I don't know where she heard about it, but apparently it is known about even outside the industry.

Her concerns were about theft and/or kidnapping, so she told me about it and to be careful when applying for jobs.

I will pick up the Fort Worth paper tomorrow and check out the article!

[MattK]

Just in case people haven't seen the article, you can find a copy of it on the Association of Flight Attendants site here:

http://www.afanet.org/default.asp?id=633

Flight Attendant Scam

[boomchicky]

Planejobs.com has this ad...
AIRCRAFT FLIGHT ATTENDENT for our corp. jet, F/T, training provided, Fresno based, xlnt. sal/bens
Phone: (619) 819-7570

I called and heard a recording by a creepy man promising great salary and benefits if I had a good attitude and would leave my name and number. I have to say that is I hadn't read this thread I would have probably fell for this scam. Thanks.
Someone needs to stop this guy.

[boomchicky]

I just wrote plane jobs and told them about the scam and asked them to tell their subscribers about it. I also asked them to inform the authorities and gave them the link to the article. Hopefully they will do the right thing. As for me I will try to call the FBI and BBB on Monday. The guy is smart he posted it on a Friday afternoon so he would have all weekend to harvest calls before someone turns him in on Monday.

[boomchicky]

I just informed the FBI. Man I hope this guy gets caught.

[boomchicky]

Planejobs has removed the ad from the site.

[dohc20]

Well h3ll yes it is, I am not affraid to admit that I got scammed, $308.99 to be exact. This guy thinks hes so smart, i have been in contact with career builder, wester union, my local athorities, and the states attorney. they have informaion on this guy, and with two phone numbers with this guys voice on them, this guy will be caught soon enough. If you got scamed Right now is the time to come forward, dont be afraid make a police report post it on this forum too, because this forum is a huge piece of evidence towards this p.o.s. lowlife scumbag.

[SBC6978]

Hello Everyone. I think it is amazing how many people have been scammed, including myself. We do need to have everyone pass the word to all of their "airline industry" friends and see if there are more people out there who have gotten there money taken, too, by this creep. Hopefully if everyone tells what's happened to them thus far, this guy will be sorry he ever started his "stunt". DOHC...Please let me know if I can be of further assistance. I still have all of my records, including the newspaper, all the times of his phone calls, records of my return calls wondering where all of my promised materials were. I did call the Western Union fraud department, and the woman there told me they needed to have an exact address, being that I just had a name payable in Orlando, I needed to contact that particular police department. She said Western Union would comply with orders if and when the authorities needed camera tapes of the W/U in Orlando and any other further info. Let me know if I can help catch this creep.[/b]

[Jerseygirl]

I only read the latest two and of course, there is the shock of being "taken."

Many months ago, I posted a detailed step-by-step of how my frend's neighbor got scammed in 1995. The whole western union and secret password.

In 2005 (almost 2006) NO ONE should be sending Western Union. There is Paypaland all kinds of options where you can recover your dough. For a company to TRAIN YOU....THEY pay and you just make yourself available. I hope that's not harsh, but a scammer doen't reel in someone he can't win. He can't do it without the help of a willing victim.

If you have no training and some guy from a newspaper ad start calling and they want your money....how did you miss the scam?

Flight attendants are counted on to make GOOD JUDGMENTS. Get the money you foolishly paid, if you can, and HOPE this never catches up to you. You will appear ill informed and silly. Shhhh

[lovetofly]

This guy is at it again! Latest post is on www.planejobs.com for a DEN-based f/a. I called the # and sure enough, IT'S HIM!!! When is he going to stop this bulls#@%!???!!!

[MattK]

I saw that ad elsewhere one week ago and I decided NOT to repost it.

Shame on Plane Jobs for not sniffing out a scam!

[ShoreLeave]

You should pull one of these on him:
If you have the time read through this. Its funny!

http://www.geocities.com/jaccountinfo/FrankScam.html

[MattK]

ROTFL! I am trying so hard NOT to spit up as I read this, Shore Leave. Yes, yes would someone please engage this jerk and take a tip from the Nigerian correspondence [what a hoot!] This guy needs to be seriously set up... :-$

[DocSullivan]

=D>

[jules]

Hi All-
It looks like this scam artist is up to it again. His latest posting is on careerbuilder.com. Here is the ad :Aircraft Flight Attendant for our Wichita based corp. jet. FT, excellent sal. & benft. Call HR Dept. @ 248-746-3303. You call the number and it is that same creepy guy. I just thought you all would like to know he is at it again.

[MattK]

The best response is as Mike referenced.

Has anyone contacte authorities? Do the newspapers posting this information know about the problem?

I find it incredible that this guy has resurfaced with the same m.o. in place. Either he is stupid or is unaware that he is being tracked.

[MattK]

The following information was posted on a Virginia newspaper's site warning about this ongoing scam. I guess this "news" is finally getting some legs:

BBB warns of employment ad

The Better Business Bureau Serving Western Virginia is warning consumers not to answer an employment ad recently advertised in several newspapers in Virginia and other states.

The ad is for a corporate flight attendant. After calling a long-distance phone number, consumers are asked to wire money to an address in Florida to pay for an airplane ticket to attend a training course.

The bureau has been unable to obtain the name or address of the firm. Legitimate employers will never ask for a bank account number before an employee has reported for work, the bureau said.

Here is the link:
http://www.newsleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060108/NEWS01/601080342/1002

[madsville]

When HNL Hat did their thing. it was a creepy dude that I spoke to and hired me site unseen. Did no background check of me...........

and now I hear HNL had gotten into some trouble in Europe for failure to pay a hotel bill........

[cinderblock]

He is still out there! I just read this guys ad in the Sunday 15th Cleveland Plain Dealer. I called the # and it's the same creepy voice; only this time he is offering $950 a week.

I've informed the newspaper about this jerk & BBB.

-cinderblock-

[MattK]

Good catch, cinderblock. I saw the copy too. Feel free to call the police and rat this guy out! I am amazed that he is so persistent...the heat is on, I guess he wants to get caught!

[MattK]

This story never seems to want to die. I guess as long as the scammer is free, he'll keep going after unsuspecting individuals.

A Knoxville, TN women recently fell prey to this creep's tactics:
http://www.wate.com/Global/story.asp?S=4441537&nav=0RYv

[MattK]

Just this past week the ad ran in a San Antonio paper. I would give to you the link, but it has apparently been deleted.

I contacted the Knoxville paper regarding the listing, via email, explaining all that we knew about the scam and haven't heard back.

What amazes me is this guy is continuing with the same M.O. ; I guess he doesn't know that he is being written about. Doesn't seem to make much of a difference either as he still persists.

[Ladi]

This looks like the same type ad, but new phone.
I copied this from hotjobs:

Aircraft Flight Attendant for ou r Ontario based corp. jet. F/T. Training provided. Excellent salary & bnfts. Call H.R. Dept., 248-746-3332


http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/jobseeker/jobsearch/job_detail.html;_ylt=AiG7CF0bGkldMPl5eh3ZEZT6Q6IX? job_id=JA3A89MC4

[MattK]

Yes, it looks like the same thing. Did you call them? If not, would you or could someone else here give them a call?

I would like to know if it is the same company. Some people are waaaaay too persistent!

[Ladi]

It was an invalid #. I guess it was him. I emailed 2 different managers listed on the dailey news website, and gave them this link.

It would be great for this person to be caught.

ladi

[MattK]

Thanks, Ladi. I tried the number too...same response. Never heard that type of message before!

I hope he gets caught too. The news media has paid some attention to the story, but then they drop it and move on. Guess it isn't titillating enough for them.

[nilson]

This creepy poster is back everyone. My friend forwarded to me his new ad which was on AOL...the phone number is 248-746-3303. Matt, I see a pattern, he is posting his job listings on weekends...Interesting...Watch out everyone,,,he's baaaccckkkk. ](*,)

[nilson]

AOL ::: Find Jobs - Flight Attendant Jobs in Los Angeles, CA
I attached the creepy guy link above, he is back and with the same 248 number, which is a MI extension. Same creepy message etc. Be careful

[Ladi]

nilson,

the same type ad ran last week in an LA paper, then was on monsterjobs.

Also a 248 #

Is there a way you can email the advertisers and give them this link and let them know he is a scam artist?

I emailedseveral people at the LA Dailey news and received several replies back from them

ladi

[nilson]

LADI,
I don't subscribe to AOL so I wouldnt know how to contact them about this creepy guy.

[Ladi]

Is this the ad?

aircraft Flight Attendant for our LA based corp. jet. FT. Training prov'd. Excellent Salary/Benefits. Call HR Dept. 248-746-3303 Los Angeles Times 2006-04-25.

This is similiar to the one in dailey news. Guess we ALL should notify the
LA Times. Maybe if they get enough messages they will check into it, and maybe get this guy.

here is one link:

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[MattK]

Excellent info, nilson and Ladi. Now, if we can get a flood of messages to the Los Angeles Times about this scam then perhaps someone there will take up the ball and run with it.

I had a very good FAA contact whose contact information I lost. If I find his name and number, I will be certain to place a call to him.

Maybe someone with connections to this particular Michigan address could contact their local FSDO too.

[CD]

Just to make a wee bit easier, here's the link to find the office nearest you...

Flight Standards District Offices (FSDO) (http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/field_offices/fsdo/)

[GalleyKat]

I forwarded all the info to my friend who writes at the LA Times. He says that this is sad what this guy has done.

The people aren't in till Monday who can pull the ad. Jay is going to call for us.

I can't believe that he is still trying to do this!!!!

[BFFA]

The Courier Journal ran the ad recently too. I found a copy of it on Career Builder: http://www.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/Jobs/JobDetails.aspx?Job_DID=J3F72X6LQJPLYTJ6ZL3&siteid=cbsimplyhired&IPath=EXSH&cbRecursionCnt=1&cbsid=482c895941924643a829e7055c1740a9-199898555-W5-2

[JML]

Thanks to everyone for posting what they know of this scam. My girlfriend got snookered by this, falling prey to promises too good to be true. Unfortunately, I didn’t find this forum until after she sent her money by Western Union yesterday. We are both flight attendants for a charter carrier, and I’m surprised that I haven’t heard of this scam before. Even more surprising was that it took me quite a bit of digging and searching the internet before I found this forum with information.

Here is what I know of her story, in hopes of saving a few others from falling victim:

~The ad was posted in the Courier Journal, Louisville, KY the week of May 5, 2006.
~The number she called was 248-746-3303.
~He returned her call, asked a few questions (What is your current employment status, etc.), but talked so quickly that she didn’t have time to ask too many questions of her own.
~The pay was promised at $1000+ weekly, benefits, and all expenses paid. She could live here, and they would pay her commuting expenses, as well.
~The schedule was 5 days on, 3 days off.
~HE SAID THE COMPANY NAME WAS PLEXUS, owned a 727 and shuffled around “members”, millionaires, big time actors, athletes, etc. all over world.
~He called the following day, saying they had narrowed the applicants down to 12, and she had made the cut; they were certain to hire all 12.
~For the interview in Miami, $289 was needed to be wired Western Union, as an assurance “because so many applicants just take the free flight and don’t show up to interview”, and they would return the money in cash at the interview. When asked if it could be paid by credit card, he discouraged it; saying then she would have to front the entire airfare amount.
~After the money was wired, he called to confirm he received it, and promised to call back with her flight info to Miami, because they were using a reservation company to book the flight. He didn’t call again.
~I don’t know the name he went by, or what password she used for the WU wire, but I do know that there was one.

What stinks is that she thought she was covering her bases: She called BBB, Western Union, his phone number and she Googled the company name PLEXUS. None of those places so much as gave her a red flag, and when she turned up empty handed, she took a leap of faith.

Thanks for letting me post this in your forums. I hope we can save a few other FA’s from losing money.

Best wishes to you all!

[MattK]

Hi JML,

Welcome to the Corporate Flight Attendant Community even under such sad circumstances.

We have been following this scam for over one year now. This particular thread was started by me on June 10, 2005, and it came about after I spent several weeks tracking similar job postings prior to that date. Indeed, it is one of the worst and most persistent scams going.

Further up in this thread is a link to FAA FSDO offices. Please, please, please take the time and contact them and alert them to the scam. I cannot do this alone and we all need to make mention of this. They may be able to handle it or you may be asked to call the FBI too. Just so you know, the FBI is busy with tons of other stuff, so they may not prioritize the situation.

For everyone else, don't be co-opted by vague promises, made up company names, or some other stuff. Always, Google up the information and see what turns up, or not. The more urgent they are, the bigger the problem: they want you to act before thinking!

Regards,
MattK

P.S. As a follow up, this morning I shared this information with two other important flight attendant sites:

FlightAttendants.org (http://www.flightattendants.org) and MSN's Airline Flight Attendant Room (http://groups.msn.com/AirlineFlightAttendantRoom). If we can't catch the creep, at least maybe people can be sufficiently warned!

[nilson]

Matt, I am sickened by this scam that our poor brothers and sisters in the industry are getting sucked into. Thank you so much for keeping this board up. Is there any way possible to link this thread and Plexus or the 248 phone number so that any other unsuspecting crew members would get this board when google-ing this company? Perhaps this could save a few unsuspecting crew members from falling prey to this disgusting scam. Just trying to help....

[drew21FL]

God this guys is so freakin annoying! I called the number posted and I cannot stand to listen to this guys voice. I did a reverse phone number look up and and the call originates in Michigan from and Ameritech/ ATT phone. I contacted the ATT fraud department and they looked up the phone number but it does not originate from and ATT customer (Ameritech is now part of ATT) Because it is not an ATT customer they cannot start an investigation. But I did contact others to look into it which I do not want to discuss on here. To read the general discussions you do not need to be a member so I bet whoever is doing this reads this every now and again. If someone does have an important lead or something to share I would encourage them to PM someone instead of posting here, since Matt knows the most I would say pass any vital info to him rather than posting it on here. His post was on hot jobs the other day which I emailed Hotjobs to have it removed. The very best we can do is band together and report anything we find or see. I cannot wait until he is caught and im positive he will be caught..eventually

[MattK]

I figured out how to notify Career Builder about this ad which is still being carried on their site. I sent to them the following notice:Hi,

This job is a scam and has been tracked by my web site for well over a year. You can read the thread here to learn how many people have been taken in by this guy's garbage:

http://corporateflyer.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=100

Regards,
Matt Keegan
www.corporateflyer.net
matt@corporateflyer.netLet's see if we get any response from them.

[TIFFANY]

Hi Everyone....I just saw this ad your talking about in the Rochester Democrat and Chronical this evening...the jerk is still out there, and bold as ever. I am calling the newspaper in the AM and give them the low down on this.

I will give you the gossip later.

[jetfoody]

Okay, this may be way off base.
Would anyone consider going to the New York Times, ABC, or one of the major news stations and telling them about this scam?
There are so many scams out there, maybe the CFA's/ corp jet industry are low on the totem pole, considering Enron or whatever.
Who knows though, it might strike up some interest/ awareness in our industry.
I'm sure he's not the only scammer in the corporate jet world. Pilots probably get scammed as well, people who sell/ buy jets, charter companies, caterers -et al.
Just a thought.
Good luck to everyone and have a great day. :mozilla_cool:

[Ingrid]

This guy is either stupid or persistent. Maybe stupidly persistent. I just saw that ad again on Career builder. Will he ever be stopped?! =;

[potiai]

The guy is a creep. What makes him think he can get away with this? The only thing he has changed over time is his phone #. Does anyone else think that he is really based overseas and beyond US control? I keep thinking the Cayman Islands.

[BFFA]

This is one horse that has been beaten half to death! I can't believe people are so ignorant.

[MattK]

This is one horse that has been beaten half to death! I can't believe people are so ignorant.
Well, being an ignoramus is one thing while being ignorant is another.

You might be surprised to learn that this long time scam is "new" to some folks. The flying industry is always welcoming newbies as retirees leave and as new companies spring up. The "glamour" of the industry is what attracts so many people, particularly where a private jet is involved. For some people they are just now beginning to explore aviation. Thus, the ploy is new to them.

One thing I have determined about this guy is this: his phone number is through one of those internet telephony {VoIP} companies such as Vonage. He probably is based overseas and can continue the scam with impunity. These days so many phone numbers have little or no association with a particular area code, so this person could be just about anywhere and far from the reaches of U.S. enforcement officials who are busier with weightier matters.

[pauline583]

Hello, I guess this man is back again or maybe he never stopped. I recently seen the ad in a local news paper. The offer sounded great, So I called and got a voice mail, left a message, got a call back and answered a few questions. I was told by this man that he was having a meeting that night and he was going to pick out of the many people who had been interested. So I received a call back the following day and he stated that I would need to go down to Salt Lake City for an interview. And I would have to pay for the flight because alot of people whom were supposed to go to an interview with them would not show up or something would go wrong and the company would lose out on money. I would be reinbursed the money upon arrival. Well I found this site because and came to realize I have fell in the trap. I sent 294.00 western union to Orlando FL. on a Wednesday and it was a password thing too. He said he would call back with the details for my flight which would be on Monday. He did in fact call back and gave me the time of the flight and the flight number and stated that he did not have the confirmation number because the company had a prepaid seat on delta so he is to call me back on Sunday to let me know that everything has been taken care of. Well it is only friday and I think he has taken the money and ran. I actually called one of the numbers on this post and it is the same man. Someone needs to stop this man!!!

[lynx]

You poor thing! I am amazed that he is still operating, but I guess the word hasn't gotten out completely. Have you called the Better Business Bureau? I think your state's Attorney General office would be interested too. Good luck.

[DocSullivan]

This article is not about this specific scam, but it is related and worth reading:

FBI warns job hunters of online job scams (http://www.techweb.com/wire/ebiz/190301879)

[train2000]

Matt,

Is there any kind of scam warning you can put in advertisement, perhaps on this site, other than a thread. Nobody probably cares because it's such a small community/population responding. I get so angry reading about this....Anybody have any ideas of what can be done???

[train2000]

I mean law enforcement ...

[MattK]

Well, it looks like this guy is hard at work still. He is "marketing" the company's corporate jet in Lexington, Portland, Birmingham, and Chicago:

AIRCRAFT FLIGHT ATTENDANT
for our Chicago based corporate jet. FT. Training provided. Excellent salary and benefits. Call our Personnel Dept 212-465-3433
Web CB128450

Stay away...you have been sufficiently advised!

Career Builder is reposting ads that originally showed up in local newspapers.

[ShoreLeave]

Sufficiently advised?
I would hope someone would get the message after 96 posts!

[BFFA]

Sufficiently advised?
I would hope someone would get the message after 96 posts!
I thought that we were trying for 100 warnings. As you know some people just do not get it the first time!

[blue67]

WOW, this creepy guy is everywhere! The local paper in Mobile, Al ran
the same ad w/# 212-465-3433, it's such a scam and this guy is really a sick person! I'm gonna contact the BBB, the newspaper, and anyone else in the local area who may be interested!

[ShoreLeave]

Its official!!!!

I call 100!

[train2000]

In one of the previous posts was an article about employment scams. It
has this link to post a formal complaint to the FBI.

http://www.ic3.gov/

Has anyone made one?

[MattK]

Ah, Shoreleave beat me to the punch...

Thank you for the link, Train2000. Now, if you have been scammed would you please take the time to fill out the form and submit it to the FBI? Make mention that the ad has appeared on Career Builder as they have republished newspaper ads from across the USA. Feel free to add in the following link if they are so inclined to read 100 plus replies:

http://www.corporateflyer.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=100

When this guy gets caught, I'll officially close the thread. I wonder when that will be?

[train2000]

You can also report crime tips directlyto FBI @

https://tips.fbi.gov/

[train2000]

I can't believe it. I filled out a complaint form for the FBI site, and within an hour received a voice mail from an a FBI agent, in DC. Pretty cool, considering the amount of the tips they probably get!

Matt- I send you an email with the actual message attached.

He basically said to make a report to the IC3.com website, an they will work on it. IC3 wants a lot of details of actual incidents. Thats why I did the FBI complaint.

Be on your best behavior peeps, I sent a link to this site.

O:)

[MattK]

Thanks to Train2000's special efforts she not only filled out the form, but received a call back from the FBI. If you have Windows Media Player or Real Player installed on your computer, you can hear the FBI's reply as I uploaded the conversation to this site.

Here are the instructions for listening via Windows Media Player:

1. Launch Windows Media Player.

2. Click on File in the upper left hand corner of your screen.

3. Click on Open URL

4. At the prompt, enter the following URL to listen in on the conversation: http://www.corporateflyer.net/FBI.wav

Make certain that you cut and paste the URL exactly as given to where it should go. Real Player is probably similar in operation to access this file.

As you will hear, you will be instructed to go to the IC3 site to fill out a complaint: http://www.ic3.gov/

I hope this helps!

[redtika]

The ad for corporate flight attendant appeared in the San Antonio classifieds as well (Aug 30). I did receive a call back from the man with the "creepy" voice and became suspicious when he said they would make a decision based on the very limited background information he asked for. Not to mention that I could not find any information on the internet about the company he named as Fleetwing Inc. based out of Oslo, Norway.

I'm not in the flight attendant industry, and the creepy man said my lack of experience was no issue as long as I had food and beverage and customer service experience. He did call back to say that I had qualified for an interview, but then he decided that de didn't like the tone in my voice and hung up on me.

I notified the local FBI office and the BBB.

Looking forward to this guy getting caught and certainly am glad I found this forum.

[stewardess0522]

Just to let everyone know he just yesterday 9/21 he put an ad out in Little Rock, AR it can be found on Indeed.com. I too was called and told I had an interview but the name of the company he gave me was Plexus International Corporation & Triple A rated. He also told me his name was Dave Maxwell. He told me to check them out on Dunn & Bradstreet so I did there is a plexus but it has to do with medical field. And he told me that they would pay for my flight to Denver, CO where my interview would be. I would fly in and out on the same day. Of course I haven't heard from him In a month but I did call today to see if he would call back. That was before I saw this post. But maybe he will call back and I can get enough information about him that something could be done to stop this creep. But I doubt he'll call back because each time I spoke to him I asked for more information and that probably scared him off. We'll see.

[redtika]

He also told me his name was Dave Maxwell and that I was to fly to Nassau for my interview. Like I mentioned, he hung up on me because he must have sensed the skepticism in my voice. Any word out there from any of the original email posters regarding this topic?

[MattK]

This clown is persistent and he is bold. We can all help out by warning people away from the ads and by contacting the FBI as outlined further up in this thread.

[stewardess0522]

Of course I did not get a call back from "Dave" and probably never will.

[Lovattn]

[-X

Hi there.... I was lucky enough to talk with the Creepy rude guy last week! Like everyone says.... It just sounds to good to be true! Anyway, being that I'm a former F/A you can imagine my surprise when he called to tell me that they wanted to interview me in Atlanta, but I needed to pay for my flight!! RED FLAG!! Next he assures me that " LISA" who will be interviewing me will reimburse me as soon as i get there!! Hmmm?? I was given explicit instructions in regard to paying for my ticket! Anyway, to make a long story short he told me to go to western Union (in the next 2hrs) and wire $289.00 to some guy in Florida!!! Oh my God! He also reassured me that their company "PLEXUS INTERNATIONAL" was in good standing with the Better Business Bureau! Ha ha ha! What a joke! I can't believe this guy hasen't been caught ? From the looks of this Msg. board he's been all over the united states with that Ad. I live in California ( Central Valley)

[MattK]

Hi Everyone,

We can stop this guy in his tracks if we continue to spread the word. Feel free to cut and paste this thread's link and distribute it around the internet. I am somewhat amazed that this issue remains a problem, but I guess it will until the word gets out to everyone:

http://corporateflyer.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=100

Regards,
MattK