650-489-5241

Wow I just received the SAME EXACT  message like 10 min ago. Personally I am sick and tired of scams on Craigslist. I also have a friend who was triked by one, he received a check cashed it and send it to the guy only to find out that it was a fake and now he has to pay for the money he withdrew. I thank God that I did not fall for one.
Please be careful and always check the company.
Craigslist should put the next sentence on their main page in their website:

If it sounds too good to be true, it definitely is.

yeah I got the same one and am [***] pissed they really got our hopes up. My wife and I really needed the money, now I have to tell her the bad news. We didn't give them any information though

I got the same message. this ad had scam written all over it. I even looked up the addresses to Swilman's other office locations on their website and none of the addresses are lagit. the partners logos didn't even have links to them. and for a company that has only been in business for 6 months to have four locations in the U.S. and have big partners is a huge red flag. plus what company would give someone in a receptionist position a company credit card and company car. these people are such horse [***] to ask for credit records. who does that? no company hiering people should ask for credit scores. that is invasion of privacy. these people want your identity and your money.  Also they have been exposed to News 8. I will never trust craigslist again for anything.  Below is the email they sent me.

Here is the link to their website and you'll see what I mean when I say scam. even the phone number is fake. don't give your credit scores. trust me. I am so glad i read through the whole thing or else who knows what would have happend.  http://swilmancorp.com/


Hello Suzie Cooper, it's fantastic to speak with you.


We appreciate you e-mailing us. In case my ad was not clear, the responsibilities of this position are as follows: you will be answering our main phone and taking messages whenever necessary, you will be scheduling our company meetings, and errand running for the company for things such as purchasing office supplies and making our bank deposits (you will be provided with a company car). While you are running errands, you will also be given one of our company credit card(s) for all business purchases.


You are very qualified for our job position, more so than the other 24 people I received resumes from. I would like to find an available time to take the next step with you. However, before I am able to set up a formal meeting, my company requires that you obtain a recent(from the past 10-15 business days) credit report. We, at Swilman Corp, started requiring this because the company have unfortunately had a few bad experiences with former employees taking advantage of being able to access one of the company credit cards.


Both myself and Swilman heavily prefer it if you use http://getfreecreditscore2010.com to obtain your report as they are currently offering a credit report, at zero cost to you. Swilman has also discovered that their checks always report back the most factual and accurate information.


Once you submit all of the required information, their company will show your personal report. Then, you need to email me the reported credit score, a phone number we can reach you at, and your schedule of availability to schedule an interview.
I ask you to not email me the complete report, as it will most likely contain private information. In the chance that you have a low credit score, it will not prevent you from a position with us. I had a pretty low score whenever I started.


If you don't want to complete a recent credit check, unfortunately Swilman will require that I meet with our second choice.

Personally, I am hoping to get this position filled with a friendly face and am looking forward to your quick reply.


Have a fantastic Thursday,

Madeline Cunningham
HR Dept.


Swilman, Corp
Telephone: 1 (650) 489-5241
Fax: 1 (866)-227-5645
Email: MadelineCunningham@SwilmanCorp.com
Web: http://SwilmanCorp.com

Called number to varify my suspicion of Swilman being fake and it is. the number says caller is not availavle nobody answered using company name. these people need to quit scamming innocent people looking for work. they think this is funny and it's not, these are hard times for us americans and all we want to do is work and support our families.

craigslist should be sued for getting our hopes up for job opportunities. how can we shut them down?

Well we checked out the business address here in Reno-Sparks, It doesn't exist.  Spoke with the BBB, , FBI and Sec. of State,  checked business licences'  they don't have one.  They're going down!   And they are mor than just jerks!!!
If you woul like to make a complaint call your local FBI.  or go to: www.ic3.gov and place your complaint along with any coorespondence you received from these morons.
We can be the solution to these crooks.

Ok I got this same message from a company called Hortman Corp not Swilman like you guys are talking about. My hr rep was Danielle.  I am really confused.  Also I was more qualified than the other 19 people that applied.  How can this number be 2 different company's?

Wow! I am glad that I looked this up to see if it was a scam.  I wasn't called, but was emailed.  I knew immediately when they asked for a credit report that it wasn't good.  They are very clever though, and almost had me fooled.  Especially when you're looking so hard for a job. The company's name was listed as Hortman Corp, and I checked their website and everything.  Then I checked the number and found all this stuff.  Too bad.

I responded to the same craigslist posting her in palm springs california too. I went all the way to the website they gave me...getfreedreditreport2010.com and they gave me the same letter they gave to everyone else's posting.

I got the same email you did.... Nice

wow!!!!! I too received this email after emailing my resume. I was so excited because i am in dire need for a job. What bulls   t. I am beginning to wonder about craigslist reputation. Who can you trust? I am just happy i found out before it was too late.

I also got the same message here in brunswick georgia. Now they are going by Hortman Corp I believe. The email from Amanda Murphy is below. These people are soooo wrong. Thanks guys. So glad I investigated before I actually did something. I was going to go by their 'Brunswick address" this morning and see anyway before I sent my credit scrore. There was nothing on BBB about them anyway though:

Email sent:

I appreciate you e-mailing us. In case my post was not clear, the responsibilities of this position are as follows: you will be answering the phone and taking messages when necessary, you will be scheduling the company meetings, and errand running for the company for things such as purchasing office supplies and making the bank deposits (you will be provided with a company car). While you are running errands, you will also be given one of our company credit card(s) for all business purchases.

You are definitely qualified for the current position, and more so than the other 24 people I received resumes from. I would like to take the next step with you. However, before I am able to schedule an interview, my company requires that you acquire a recent(from the past 5-10 business days) credit report. We, at Hortman Corp, have made this a standard because our company have unfortunately had a couple bad incidents with prior employees exploiting being able to access one of the company credit cards.

Both the company and I will prefer it that you use http://2010-mycreditreport.com to acquire your check as they are giving the report at zero cost to you(unlike other places). Hortman has also discovered that they always report the most accurate information.

Once you submit all of the necessary information, they will show your personal credit report. Afterwards, you will email me your reported credit score, a phone number that you can be easily reached, and your availability to set up an interview.
Do not email me your entire credit report, as it will most likely have private information. If you currently have a lower than expected credit score, it does not prevent you from employment. I had a fairly low score when I started.

If you don't want to complete a recent credit check, unfortunately Hortman will require that I contact the second choice.

Personally, I am hoping to get this position filled with a friendly face and looking forward to your quick response.

Have a wonderful Friday,

Allison Murphy
HR Dept.


Hortman, Corp
Phone: 1 (650) 489-5241
Fax line: 1 (866)-391-4453
Contact: AllisonMurphy@HortmanCorp.com
Web: http://HortmanCorp.com

I'd be highly suspicious of any "job" that refers you to a service that REQUIRES that you SIGN UP for Credit Monitoring services THAT COSTS MONEY.  

THIS PLOY MAKES IT A SCAM - just to get people to sign up for theIR CREDIT MONITORING services and probably NO JOB AT ALL.


1..They will do their OWN credit check on you - not have you do it yourself.

2 .USE www.annualcreditreport.com - to get your FREE yearly credit REPORT.  - THIS IS THE LEGITIMATE GOVERNMENT WEBSITE - NOT SOME SITE THAT IS INTENDED TO COST YOU MONEY!

I'd be highly suspicious of any "job" that refers you to a service that REQUIRES that you SIGN UP for Credit Monitoring services THAT COSTS MONEY.  

This is nothing but a ploy to get you to sign up for credit monitoring service and there probably is no job at all.

1..They will do their OWN credit check on you - not have you do it yourself.

2 .USE www.annualcreditreport.com - to get your FREE yearly credit REPORT.  - THIS IS THE LEGITIMATE GOVERNMENT WEBSITE - NOT SOME SITE THAT IS INTENDED TO COST YOU MONEY!

Identity Thieves Prowling for Job Seekers
Fake job ads up 345% as recession creates opportunities for scam artists
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2009/03/job_scams.html

March 9, 2009

With the unemployment rate rising and living costs going up, more people are looking for new jobs or second jobs. These are ideal conditions, it turns out, if you’re an identity thief.
Job seekers will register with employment agencies, check employment ads, mail out unsolicited resumes, network, post resumes on job search sites and search Craigslist.
In fact, the UK Association for Payment Clearing Services which tracks the prevalence of fake job ads said that fake ads are up 345 percent over the past three years. Unfortunately identity thieves are taking advantage of these uncertain economic times to scam job seekers and gather personal identifying information.
The Identity Theft Resource Center offers these tips:


• Protect your Social Security Number by limiting how many people see it. Never put your SSN on a resume. Let a company ask for it when they consider you a serious applicant. To minimize your risk, you also may want to not list your home address and just put your city and state on the resume.


• Consider opening a separate email account for your job search and keeping your primary email address private. Placing your email address on a resume could open the door to spam and phishing, account verification, and other email scams. (The recent Monster.com breach exposed resumes and email addresses. If you had placed your Social Security number or home email address on your resume, you could have made yourself a target.)


• Check out a company you found on a website carefully before giving them your information, for example Craig’s List. Anyone can create a website, but it doesn’t mean that they are a real company. You can find information on a company through the Better Business Bureau or the State Attorney General where the company is located. You can also Google the business to find out more about them. Most reputable companies will have a significant presence on the Internet, not just a few mentions.


• Avoid any website that requires you to “pre-register” with your SSN, home address or driver’s license number. Also, you should not be required to prepay to view job listings. Both these requirements are strong indicators of a scam.


• Update your computer security prior to emailing resumes and receiving email correspondence. Making sure your computer security is currently updated against viruses, Trojans, and other types of computer malware can help to protect you from any intrusion in an attachment you might receive.



• Make sure the person who contacted you actually works at the listed company and is not someone who has posted a job pretending to be part of a company. Does the URL address include the name of the company? If not, who actually sent it? Call the company involved, and ask for the Human Resources Department. Some companies recommend not responding via email to any person asking for more information, but rather to call the company directly. Rarely does a company hire someone sight unseen.


• Be wary of some common job scams. Avoid any company, especially a foreign company that wants to hire you as a “payment representative “or” accounts receivable clerk.” This scam indicates that you get to keep a percentage of all checks or money orders you place in a bank account for them. Do not open a bank account for a company. You will be the responsible party should any money laundering occur, or if checks bounce. This is called a “money mule scam.”

Another scam is to notify you that you are one of the finalists for a job, and they need your Social Security number to do a background check. If you have not had a face-to-face interview with the company, you should be very skeptical. No one gets a job based on a resume alone.
Finally, watch out for the “work-at home” scams, especially those that ask you to “forward” packages you receive to a third party. That package may contain stolen goods or illegal drugs. There is rarely need to have a private party as a “freight forwarder.”
The safest ways to job search are to use local want ads, visit the unemployment office, use temp employment services, tell friends and family about your search, and network via professional groups and business acquaintances. When contacting a local company you can meet them, see the facilities, and ask acquaintances in that industry about their reputation. Consider not contacting foreign companies, especially those from Nigeria, Russia and third world countries.

Should you decide to use the Internet, ITRC strongly recommends that you read the safety tips on job seeking websites and report any suspicious posting to the website concerned.


Read more: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2009/03/job_scams.html#ixzz0TGskhzJw




Florida Probes Eight Firms For Alleged Employment Scams
Suspected of exploiting desperate job-seekers
February 17, 2010

The ads make it sound easy; let the advertised firm train and place you in a new job, or set you up in a work-at-home business that will triple your income. It hardly ever works out that way, however.
Now, the State of Florida has issued subpoenas to eight firms suspected of running employment or work-at-home scams.
"Unemployed Floridians are particularly vulnerable to scams that falsely promise quick fixes for people who are jobless," said Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum. "With the unemployment rate in Florida at record highs, we need to be vigilant in our efforts against people looking to capitalize on someone else's difficulties."
One of the firms receiving a subpoena is Career Services International, based in Orlando. McCollum's office is investigating allegations that the company misrepresents available services and collects fees for those services, but fails to provide them. Consumers have complained that the quality of service was not what the company had promised and indicated problems with missed deadlines, untrained employees, and lack of advertised expertise.
Federal-State Crackdown
The subpoena is one of a series issued over the past several months targeting employment scams and was announced today to highlight the office's joint enforcement effort with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)and several other states. Seven other Florida companies have also received subpoenas investigating potential violations of Florida's Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act. Allegations include misleading or deceptive marketing of work-from-home opportunities as well as job placement services and other Internet business ventures.
The other firms under investigation include:

• Coretech Media LLC, doing business as Netcadetpro.com and Net Money Training, located in St. Petersburg; Investigation of unfair and deceptive trade practices related to home business opportunity kits advertised over the internet

• Darling Angel Pin Creations, Inc., located in Brandon; Investigation of unfair and deceptive trade practices involving work at home job opportunity

• GC Displays, Inc., doing business as Atlanticpacificonline.com, located in Clearwater; Investigation of unfair and deceptive trade practices involving job placement services

• Home Biz Ventures, LLC, doing business as Bidfuel.com and Blogtoolkit.com, located in Clearwater; Investigation of unfair and deceptive trade practices involving internet business opportunity which offers on-line membership access to training and products to sell on auction sites

• My Career Corp., Inc., located in Tampa; Investigation of unfair and deceptive trade practices involving job placement services

• Pacific Webworks, Inc., located in Salt Lake City, Utah; Investigation of unfair and deceptive trade practices involving work from home opportunities

• Viable Marketing Corp., located in Seminole; Unauthorized recurring charges associated with negative option "work at home" internet business opportunity

McCollum says consumers should be wary of any company offering employment positions that require little or no education but claim to pay high wages, companies that charge an up-front fee for their services or products, companies that offer "memberships" to internet-based employment opportunities, and any other opportunity that sounds too good to be true.


Read more: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2010/02 ... l#ixzz0ftMC4KaX

FTC Cracks Down on Jobs Con Artists
Scams prey on Americans left jobless by the recession


By James Limbach
ConsumerAffairs.com
February 18, 2010

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has launched a new crackdown on con artists who are preying on unemployed Americans.
The fraudsters utilize job-placement and work-at-home scams, promoting empty promises that they can help people get jobs in the federal government, as movie extras, or as mystery shoppers; or make money working from their homes stuffing envelopes or assembling ornaments.
As part of the law enforcement sweep, dubbed "Operation Bottom Dollar," the FTC has filed seven cases against the operators of deceptive and illegal job and moneymaking scams. In addition, the sweep includes 43 criminal actions by the Department of Justice, many involving the substantial assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
The agency also announced partnerships with the online job placement service Monster.com, the search engine Bing and the centralized network of online communities Craigslist to help job seekers recognize job scams so they can avoid being victimized. Monster, Careerbuilder, Bing and Craigslist will display FTC consumer education material to people who are using the companies' Web sites to look for jobs.
"Federal and state law enforcement officials will not tolerate those who take advantage of consumers in times of economic misfortune," said David C. Vladeck, Director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection. "If you falsely advertise that you will connect people with jobs or with opportunities for them to make money working from home, we will shut you down. We will give your assets to the people you scammed, and, when it's appropriate, we'll refer you to criminal authorities for prosecution."
To help consumers avoid being conned by employment scams, the FTC has produced a new consumer education video in English and Spanish.


Read more: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2010/02/jobs_scams.html#ixzz0gesTr4l6

I applied for a job as well on Craigslist....scam!!!

I received this bogus email and number as well just this morning.  I'm pretty sure this is the same person from a different scam that I stupidly and unknowingly applied for earlier on Craigs list.  Be careful!!  the number is (650) 489-5241

I just got this SAME email almost verbatim from an Angela Hughes, Human Resources, Hortman Corporation.  I tried doing a search on Hortman Corporation and there is none here in California although I think that might be a bay area number...not sure.  I hate scammers.  I went ahead and put in the information to get my credit score...it isn't a good one and I have no money at all so they won't be able to get anything from me.  But it is just hateful that people will do this to someone who is desperately looking for work...guess I will check out Cal Jobs....

I received an email from a firm called Hortman Corporation...couldn't find anything on it here in California...they gave this same phone number and wanted me to go onto this specific site to get my free credit report...which I stupidly did, but I got a note saying it was not available and would receive an email when it was, but not to submit again.  Now, I am going to have to call my bank to dispute this charge as a scam?  What crooks!!!!!

I was responding to an ad for what I thought was a legitimate job posted on Craig's List.

Majison, LLC...sounded legit but its not. Wanted my credit information and gave me a credit report website that they wanted me to use which had hidden fees that charged to your credit card. The company does not exist... I was looking forward to the interview, what a bummer. ppl are jerks and dont want to make money honestly anymore.