Beware Of A Fake Tax Accountant Job Offer For GermanBelt Group GmbH

Watch out job seekers, there’s another group of scammers out there trying to get their slimy hands on YOUR money and YOUR identity! Someone going by the name Marie Ostermann using the email address marie.ostermann@earthlink.net is claiming to represent a company called GermanBelt GmbH, which is a legitimate company based in Germany with various locations throughout Europe and China, and is sending out emails trying to recruit Tax Accountants in the US.

However, this person is NOT a representative of GermanBelt GmbH and the job offer is fraudulent! The offer is actually another money mule/money transfer scam! Below is a screenshot of the jobs and careers page on the legitimate companies website:

There is only one job available at that company and it ISN’T a Tax Accountant! And the job offer is NOT coming from the legitimate company germanBelt GmbH or germanBelt Group!

The Recruiting and Job Offer Emails

As in past job offer scams similar to this one, the email would claim that the company they represent is expanding their operations to the US soon and are needing people to handle customer transactions out of their home since they are in the process of setting up the main company offices. Below is the copies of the emails with the first one being the initial bait:

Subject:  CareerBuilder: Attempt to Reach- Missed Call

From: Marie Ostermann <marie.ostermann@earthlink.net>

Hello,

Position: Tax Accountant

Description :

Tax Accountants work with Mid-Sized and Small Companies in various industries, High Net-Worth individuals including Business Owners, Professionals and Investors, and Not-for-Profit entities. As a Tax Accountant with our firm, you’ll be responsible for developing strong working relationships with clients built on understanding their businesses and challenges. Work on multiple team engagements, including all pieces of any particular engagement – not just one part.

Generating trial balance & financial statements.
Analyze current and prior year General Ledger, Cash book, Journal.
Discuss with client year-end adjustments to be included.

Requirements:

To be considered for this Tax Accountant opportunity, you’ll need:
High school degree required
Ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines and budgets

Soft skills for this Tax Accountant opportunity:

Have the passion & curiosity to look through the financials into the business, to identify potential opportunities for client gain.
Are engaging & thrive building relationships internally and externally.
If you’re not looking now, consider our Career Lookout Service. Tell us where you want to go – We’ll keep Watch for the right opportunities for you!

ALL communication with us is completely confidential.

US Citizen
Salary: $4,800 per month;

If you are interested in this position, please reply to this e-mail for more details.

Then after the job-seeker replies asking for more details, they receive this email:

Subject: RE: CareerBuilder: Attempt to Reach- Missed Call
From: Marie Ostermann <marie.ostermann@earthlink.net>

Employment offer
germanBelt Group GmbH

Head Office
germanBelt Group
Carl Vollrath Str. 8
D-07422 Bad Blankenburg
Germany
Internet: www .germanBelt. com
Commercial register: District Court Jena HRB 208733
VAT No.: DE279746117

How are you today?

germanBelt Systems GmbH & Co. KG was founded in the year 2000 by Holger Dieffendahl, Uwe Hickmann and Axel Zepezauer, its managing shareholders. The four sites at Bad Blankenburg, Berlin, Cottbus and Halle/Leipzig being taken over from the Continental Group within the framework of a management-buy-out (MBO), operative business commenced on 01 July 2001. Today, the company operates under a new name: germanBelt Systems GmbH, and is part of the successful germanBelt Group.

The germanBelt Group is a manufacturer and international supplier of components for conveyor belt and wear protection technology and provides worldwide services for conveyor belt systems. Such systems are used in many industries and each conveyor belt system has to meet very individual technological challenges. Components such as conveyor belts, pulleys or wear protection products are important factors. Although every conveyor system is different customers seek and require the most efficient and technically perfect solution – tailor made to fit their individual needs.

It is germanBelt’s promise and service to find, commission, maintain and, if required, to repair the optimal conveyor belt solution together with their client.

Job Description

Our company has recently expanded to the US market and we are in the process of opening new offices in most states. We have a number of jobs being created for US citizens while we establish our presence and we need your help to do it.

The position we are offering is sensitive in nature and requires handling some of our payments received from our US clients. We do receive most types of payments directly while others are subject to huge delays due to 9/11 policies and current financial laws regarding international payments. This job is not sales related but you will be handling cash, and would also need to help us by using your own deposit account to withdraw funds. Payments will vary from corporate and business written orders to money orders, and others.

If you are interested and want to help us expand we are prepared to offer you a very attractive performance based income as well as other benefits: insurance package, retirement plan, paid vacations and more. This is a telecommute type of job, flexible schedule and only 8-12 hours per week needed. Other requirements are: Internet connection, checking your email regularly, and going to your financial institution or other businesses to cash/forward the funds.

Responsibilities at a glance:
-receive payments at the address you provide (PO Box can be used);
-process all payments using your deposit account;
-forward the funds to our company through fast and secure P2P services.

Financial benefits:
-monthly salary to be paid every 30 days in the amount of $4,800;
-flat ten percent share from each payment processed;
-additional bonuses applied on completing assignments within certain time frames.

Multiple applicants are currently being considered for this position, if you wish to apply please email us back at your earliest convenience with the following information and your last resume:

Full name:

Home/office
address or PO Box:

This is the first step in order for your application to be considered, the address will be used to send you the payments. Please write your name as it appears on your financial statement to prevent any issues or delays, the payments will be made out to this name.

For more information please reply to this email with your inquiries.

Sincerely,
germanBelt HR.

© 2017 germanBelt GmbH

Then the next day Marie Ostermann follows up with another email trying to stress urgency in getting the job-seeker to respond with a confirmation of interest and the requested information since there are “Multiple applicants being considered for this position and the selection process will end on Thursday, 12-07”.

So as you can see the initial job offer email is for a “Tax Accountant” however, the actual job description is for a money transfer mule who they expect will use and provide their own personal bank account information in order to deposit fraudulent payments by either bogus checks or direct deposit from someone they do not know, then withdraw the cash and wire overseas to yet someone else they do not know who will claim to be a representative of the employer, germanBelt Group!

Once the bank discovers the fraud, it will be too late. The “employee” will have already wired the cash to the scammers and will be held responsible for paying the bank back the money they withdrew which is usually several THOUSAND dollars or face possible prosecution! And the scammers will be long gone without a trace with the employees money AND the employees personal information!

Moral of the story is…

Do NOT EVER accept a job offer that states you as “the employee” will be expected to either use your existing bank account or open a new bank account in your name to handle company business or their customer/client transactions! It is ALWAYS a SCAM! Legitimate companies especially large global companies like this one already has their own finance dept, merchant accounts and corporate bank accounts in place and would NEVER have any reason to expect an employee to use a personal bank account to handle company money.. PERIOD!

What To Do If You Are A Victim

If you have fell victim to an employment scam like this, you need to contact your bank immediately and close your account IF you have provided your account information to the scammers. Next file a police report with your local authorities and then file a complaint with the FBI’s internet crime center at http://www.ic3.gov/

If you provided your personal information like your social security # birthdate etc , you need to contact the 3 credit bureaus- TransUnion, Equifax and Experian,  and place a fraud alert on your report. These criminals can steal your identity, sell your personal details on the dark web who may try and obtain credit in your name. Doing this will alert you for at least 90 days about any suspicious activity.

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In the hands of a thief, just your name, address, Social Security number or date of birth, can be used over and over months- even years down the road to:

Open new lines of credit
Seek medical attention
Drain savings and retirement accounts
Provide an alias when arrested
Get a job or file false tax returns
Get Payday Loans in your name
Obtain service agreements for cellular service or utilities
Obtain Government Documents such as a drivers license or passport
And MORE!

That’s why I highly recommend you get some sort of ongoing identity theft protection such as the services offered through companies like LifeLock-Visit Their Website Here or Identity Force-visit their website here! LifeLock and Identity Force are both reputable companies that monitors your accounts and alerts and protects you from identity theft.

Have you received a Job offer from GermanBelt GmbH or other work at home “Tax Accountant or Financial Manager” job that seems suspicious? Feel free to copy and paste the info in the comments so we can help alert and prevent others from becoming victims.

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