Dear All,

I have decided to post my story here for all to beware. There are a lot of scammers out there that are willing to prey on innocent job-seeking people.

Recently, I saw an advert on one of the local jobsites (nameswitheld) indicating that The Ritz Hotel London had a series of vacancies. Initially I was wondering why a Nigerian jobsite will be advertising for job positions in a UK organization, but later I waved it aside, assuming that it could be possible since the hotel was also looking for unskilled as well as skilled workers.

I applied for a skilled position and followed due process and sent my CV with an application. Not long after, I was sent an interview questionnaire to fill and I started to believe that this could be my chance of getting a better job. I filled in the questionnaire and some weeks later they got back to me with an email containing "the employment contract letter", which stated a monthly salary of about 2,550GBP (tax free), free accommodation and feeding, etc. Initially I was overjoyed, but later I became skeptical because the offer looked too good to be true and it kind of happened too fast. Part of what was written in the email containing the letter, was that the Ritz Hotel will be responsible for my flight ticket and Visa fees and I will have to contact HM(Revenue and Customs) for the processing of the Permit etc. and I will the one responsible for paying for the Work permit. After acknowledging receipt of the contract letter, they came back saying:

".....Kindly do note that the HM.Revenue & Customs here in the UK will commence with the processing of your traveling documentation as soon as they receive the signed contract letter and a confirmation from us,We shall also proceed with the payment for your Visa and flight ticket immediately.

You don't have to border your self about the purchasing of your Visa and flight ticket, the Ritz London Hotel management has already make provision for your Visa and flight ticket through the office of HM.Revenue & Customs. All you will be required to pay for is the cost of your Residence Work Permit only which will cost you the sum of 450.25 GBP = 115,132.96 NGN only.

We hope to hear from you soonest, Also keep us updated as soon as the HM.Revenue & Customs office be in contact with you.

Regards,

Mrs Joanne Meredith
HR. Administrator
The Ritz London Hotel
Tell: +447700098778 ........"


I became very suspicious when I received a phone call from a man (pretending to speak like the woman with the above name), he sounded so Nigerian. He then started saying the HM(Revenue and Customs) will contact me .....

Well, to cut the long story short, the scam got busted when i received yet another mail from the supposed HMRC, and part of what they said was:

"..... Kindly find attached to this e-mail, the Visa & Residence Work Permit Application Forms. You are required to fill all the required fields in BLOCK letters and also attach your passport photograph on it. You are also required to scan and send back to us the scanned copy of your passport when sending back to us the application forms.

The [color=#990000]processing of these documentations would have to be in progress unfailingly on before Monday 24th September 2012 so as for them to be completed in due time and sent over to your designated address in West Africa (Nigeria).

Method of Payment:

The processing fee is to be sent to our office through our West Africa Diplomat account in Nigeria or you can also use the means of credit card online with www.westernunion.com , as we do not give out our banking accounts to person(s) who are not located here in the UK, due to the past fraudulent activities which we have encountered in the past. So therefore, kindly find below the account information of our ''West Africa Accounting Officer In Nigeria'', with which you are to use in sending the payment to our office.

Account Name: Chibundu Obinna Terry
Bank Name: Keystone Bank
Account Number: 6016886874

Note that your employer (THE RITZ LONDON HOTEL) will be responsible for the charges of your Flight Ticket and Visa, All you will be required to pay for is the charges for the processing of your Residence Work Permit Certificate which will cost you the sum of 450.25 GBP.

As soon as the payment has been made, you are to scan and send back to us the scanned copy of the (Payment Receipt) which will show as proof and confirmation of payment.

Note: You are to try as much as possible to send back to us unfailingly on before Monday 24th September 2012 the filled application forms, scanned copy of your passport and the processing fee for your Residence Work Permit so as for the processing of these documentations to be in progress, in other for them to be completed in due time[/color]........."
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The Account Name gave them away as huge scammers. The question is how will HM(Revenue and customs) UK, ask you to pay into a Nigerian's personal account the amount of money supposedly to be used for the processing of your Work permit?

I got a call afterwards from the scammer and I told him point blank that he was wasting his time as I was not interested.

Therefore, fellow Nairalanders, please beware of stories like this. Don't be too carried away by juicy contracts or employment packages. Be sensitive and most importantly always verify your facts before making any financial commitments to anyone.


Cheers!!!!!

Thanks for this info. I wish my fellow members will learn from this.

However the owner of the said account should be arrested by EFCC. These scams are getting out of hand

I am thinking of taking it to the bank for further investigations.

These scammers really need to be punished. I wonder how many people will have innocently fallen for this.

Pls do! You'll save lifes

The scammers are even so silly. Is the HMRC reponsible for processing travel documents ? I believe The function of the HM(revenue and Customs) is tax related, as seen on their website http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/menus/aboutmenu.htm

About us:
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) was formed on the 18 April 2005, following the merger of Inland Revenue and HM Customs and Excise Departments. Work is still continuing on our office restructuring programme. We are here to ensure the correct tax is paid at the right time, whether this relates to payment of taxes received by the department or entitlement to benefits paid.

We collect and administer:

Direct taxes - paid by you or your business on money you earn or capital you gain.

Capital Gains Tax.
Corporation Tax.
Income Tax.
Inheritance Tax.
National Insurance Contributions.
Indirect taxes - paid by you or your business on money spent on goods or services.

Excise duties.
Insurance Premium Tax.
Petroleum Revenue Tax.
Stamp Duty.
Stamp Duty Land Tax.
Stamp Duty Reserve Tax.
VAT.
We pay and administer:

Child Benefit
Child Trust Fund
Tax Credits.
We protect you by enforcing and administering:

Border and frontier protection
Environmental taxes
National Minimum Wage enforcement
Recovery of student loans.
We are the parent department to the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) and its commercial arm - District Valuer Services (DVS).

Further information in respect of how we run HMRC are all available from our Corporate Governance section.