25 Sep 2005 roozbeh   » (Master)

Possible scam: A few days ago, the office phone rang and it was somebody who worked "for a human resources company". He was talking in English, which was a little weird. Most non-Iranians who wish to talk to me usually either have my cellphone number and call it first, or they just send me an email if it's not urgent.

This guy, told me that he has seen my CV and is considering to offer me a job. He said he has three or four cases in mind, but did not provide any more explanation of what the job responsiblities are or what the companies are (or any other information about them, for the matter). He said he is calling from Luxembourg, and wants me to go there (or to Istanbul if it's hard for me to get to Luxembourg, which predictably is) in an all-expenses-paid visit for two or three days to give interviews.

It seemed like a scam to me. Not that I had been ever been a victim of such scams, but it somehow looked somehow like the Nigerian scams, which even some Iranian movie directors have fallen for.

That was specially because the guy failed to provide any kind of details about what kind of job he wants to offer me, or any information about the companies he is considering me for. He only mentioned that they are interested in skilled "mathematicians and computer scientists", and that the jobs are in Europe. When I insisted, he mentioned that I may need to sign NDAs (he asked me if I knew what it is), that he won't be able to provide details otherwise. When I mentioned that it's fine, I can do that, and the time for a courier from Western Europe to reach Iran and get back is usually less than ten days, he said that ten days is too much: they usually connect the employees and the employers in three or four days!

Basically, I mentioned that it's not very easy for me to get out of the country for such an ambiguous matter, unless I have more details. I gave him my personal email address and asked him to email me with all the details he can provide. I told him that I will consider the offers then, based on reserch I would do based on the information he provided. He has not contacted me by email yet, and I consider it already late if this is usually a quick thing for him.

He probably found me over the Internet, and used a previous entry on this blog to get my office's new phone number. There is a change he may read this. There is a chance that this has been a legitimate call. If that is the case, no time is lost: he can still contact me. But I am very sceptical...

The only worry I have in posting this, is educating scammers. But I don't think they would need much more education than they currently have. There will always be easy targets, until the level of awareness of the people of the world reaches the level of awareness that the practice of law enforcement assumes of them to have.

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