FlashTaxTexas.com/FlashTaxTexasllc.com Operator- Client Manager Job Scam
It’s Tax season again and sadly the scammers are out in force taking advantage of the season by targeting job seekers with email offers of employment as client managers or operators to supposedly process tax refunds for overseas clients who worked in the US in 2015.
While many legitimate tax firms offer this service, keep in mind a legitimate tax firm would never solicit or hire via email for work at home managers or “Operators”.
FlashTaxTexas.com and FlashTaxTexasllc.com are 2 new and identical websites that was just registered and both are the same website as TaxBustersChicago.com which we warned readers about in December. Only the business name and address on the website has changed. See the screenshot below:
FlashTaxTexas.com and FlashTaxTexasllc.com are both registered to someone named Ed Jacquez 101 E Florida Avenue, Midland Texas 79701 Phone 432-520-9990. The phone number on the website is (432) 558-6040.
However there is a legitimate business called Flash Tax Services offering H&R Block services located at 101 E Florida Avenue Midland Texas but the phone number we found was 432-755-7481 as well as a Flash Income Tax located at 2305 N Big Spring St Midland, TX 79705. Below is a screenshot of the actual legitimate business location at 101 E Florida Avenue Midland Texas noting the phone # 620-9991 on the sign:
Don’t be fooled! The scammers know their potential victims will research the business and will find the legitimate business information online therefore their victims will believe the offer is legitimate. They send emails to job seekers similar to the one below which was previously sent to job seekers in past scams:
This email is a one-time notification of a recently opened position with a potential employer. A tax preparer is looking for home-based Operators who will be taking care of their expanding client base remotely, from home. Operators are expected to consistently provide excellent customer service to the clients, as well as communicate client needs within the organization through web-based tickets system and electronic correspondence. Prior work experience in this industry is NOT a must as the employer provides all new contractors with free online materials and advanced support.
This opening will be available in (February, 2016?); the successful candidates will be offered a permanent job contract with a starting salary of $46,200 per year plus incentive bonuses as well as a promising benefits package. There is a choice between full-time and part-time shifts, and since this is a work-from-home opportunity, you will be able to work from any location within the United States.
If you are interested and willing to apply for the Operator opening, please respond to this email and let me know when you are available to start. We will follow up with additional information on the position upon receiving your feedback.
Then will follow up with an email similar to the one below:
Thank you for your interest in the Operator position with our company! Here at “business name” we have been preparing taxes and arranging tax returns for over two decades. We specialize in claiming tax refunds for both US specialists currently working in Europe and Asia, and foreign expats who used to work in the United States. It’s high season for taxes now, and we have opened additional home-based Operator positions, which are available on a remote basis.
You can work from home or any location in the United States as long as you can devote 4-8 hours to the job and stay online during your work shifts. We’re open Monday to Friday and usually closed on weekends and federal holidays, which means these will be your days off as well. You don’t have to purchase any special software or equipment: your performance will be tracked online, at our corporate web server which you will be clocking in every morning. If you have a smartphone/tablet/laptop with a web browser and basic Office programs installed, that should be enough.
This job doesn’t require any previous accounting or tax preparation experience; you will be performing the same administrative duties as Operators working in our Texas office, which are the following:
– Managing electronic paperwork and correspondence with clients;
– Assisting with scheduling, preparing, and documenting tax returns and refunds;
– Gathering client feedback via a ticket system, helping address issues and answer inquiries;
– Processing confidential materials on a regular basis.You will be assigned to a supervisor, who will provide you with additional information on everyday routine and overall support. All employees are eligible for a short online training course to ensure the quality of their services. Training takes 1-2 days, which are considered to be your work days and are fully paid by the company.
This is a permanent job contract with a starting salary for this position of $3,850 monthly before taxes. Paychecks are direct deposited every 2 weeks since the actual start date. TWe also offer bonuses for individual performance based on the client evaluation of your services and support. It’s quite possible to double your base pay with bonuses already by the end of your second month, if you work with 5-10 clients per month and provide flawless services to them.
Please email me back, if you’re still interested in the Operator position: we will forward you employment documentation for review with details on your pay, benefits, schedule and other job related information. If you come up with any questions, feel free to ask me as well. Please note that we’re looking for someone to begin immediately, so if you are available to start next week, it would be a great advantage.
—
Beware! Emails claiming to be from Flash Tax Texas and the websites FlashTaxTexas.com and FlashTaxTexasllc.com are in no way associated with the real legitimate Flash Tax Services business. However the scammers want you to believe otherwise. Below is a copy of an email the Tax Busters scammers sent to a potential victim:
Hello!
Thank you again for your interest in the Operator position with our company! Tax Busters is a team of tax preparers with a total work experience of over 20 years; our specialty is claiming tax refunds for both US specialists currently working in Europe and Asia, and foreign expats who used to work in the United States. Additional information about the company can be found at our official website: http://taxbusterschicago.com (please note that our company is based in Chicago and we are not related to other companies under similar names; nor we have any other websites except for this one).
I’m sending you our standard employment package in the attachment to this message, including the following documents:
a) Employment Agreement, which gives you a general notion of your duties, guaranteed monthly salary, expenses and other work issues;
b) Banking Form used for submitting your bank account information;
c) W4 form;
d) FAQ – the list of answers to the most frequently asked questions about the company and the position.A bank account is a must for working with us as your main duty will be delivering prepared tax refunds to our clients; usually a person in this position is authorized to visit the bank and physically withdraw the funds from our corporate account, but since you’re working remotely, the best option for us would be to wire the funds to you.
Just to remind you, this position does NOT involve any sales, cold calling or actual tax preparation. You will be working from home, most tasks will be performed online at our web server which you will have access to. The company doesn’t provide you with a laptop or a cell phone, however, if you have a laptop or a tablet with the Internet connection and a valid phone number, you are all set to start. We do reimburse all job related expenses, such as cell phone and Internet bills.
Please note that this is a permanent position, and you will be working all year round, not only during the tax season. There are 2 work shifts available: you can work either part-time (20 hours per week), or full-time (40 hours per week); unfortunately, evening hours aren’t an option. You can start working part-time and switch to full-time later (or vice versa); in such a case please notify us at least in 2 weeks before the desired changes in hours.
Your starting base salary will be $3850 per month for full-time or $2000 for part-time paid every 2 weeks since the start date. There are also bonuses for refunds delivered on time and without errors, as well as penalties for delays and failed assignments. All new employees are assigned to supervising managers, who provide additional resources and information.
In order to start please print out the Employment Agreement and the Banking Form, fill both documents out, sign and email back to me. If you don’t have a scanner, a legible photo of the signed paperwork would be acceptable as well. This is a final job offer, which means you will be considered an official employee of the company, not a contractor; we would also require you to fill out a W4 form to calculate your state income tax deductions, which I will forward you later.
As I previously mentioned, this position is available immediately, so we can get you started as soon as possible. Should you have any questions, please feel free to send them to me. Thanks in advance, I’m looking forward to start working with you!
The text in red is the red flag that clearly shows Tax Busters Chicago was a money mule scam as well as identity theft and we believe FlashTaxTexas.com and FlashTaxTexasllc.com was created to do the same. They required the “employees” bank account to receive and then process tax refunds for their “out of country” clients who had worked in the USA. They would deposit so called “Tax Refunds” in the employees bank account saying it was their “out of country” clients refund and the employee’s job was to was to withdraw the refund, go to Western Union or Money Gram, document and wire the funds to the out of country tax payer! However, the funds the scammers deposited in the employees bank account was stolen of course and the “out of country” client the employee wired the tax refund to, was actually the criminals!
So Be careful! If you are contacted by someone offering a work at home job with Flash Tax Texas, do NOT reply or accept the job and do NOT provide them with any of your personal details!
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 ss # 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 and may try and obtain credit in your name. Doing this will alert you for at least 90 days about any suspicious activity.
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 suspicious email offering you a “job” with Flash Tax Texas or other work at home “client manager” or “operator” job that you never applied for? Feel free to copy and paste the email in the comments so we can help alert and prevent others from becoming victims.
You Can Also Help Us Alert Others By Sharing This Post! And Be Sure To Like Our NEW Page On Facebook!
