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I applied recently for a Remote Sales Manager position, everything was going cool in the email and they said I got the job. So I’m reading the contract and something seems odd:

"During the period of probation the Candidate will be executing corporate projects assigned by the Senior Sales Manager. Such projects will include: processing corporate payments, making researches, purchasing and selling required antique and vintage jewelry pieces. In terms of finances, the Company will provide affiliate account to the Candidate, and the Candidate must add affiliate account to his or her personal bank account in order to obtain corporate funds (no need to use personal finances or provide any personal data). Corporate funds will be transferred from the affiliate account to the Candidate’s personal bank account. Such measures will be taken to prevent any theft or fraud on the Candidate’s side. By signing this contact, the Candidate agrees to use his or her personal bank account (or open a new separate bank account) for the project execution to process corporate payments during the period of probation. The Company, on the other hand, confirms that the affiliate account is valid, active, and there is a significant amount of funds on the account for the Candidate to use. Affiliate account data will be submitted via a separate paper during the project execution process”.

Please let me know what to do moving forward.

Paul D. Waite
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Zink
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6 Answers6

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Yes, it's a scam. Google the exact words used in that message and you find the Reddit post [IL] Potential Scam. Advice needed which highlights all the reasons why it's a scam, including:

Email interview. Why would a legitimate company hire a salesperson they’ve never seen or spoken to?

Why would a salesperson “process corporate payments?”

This is to prevent “any theft or fraud on the candidates side”. No legitimate company would transfer money intended for corporate use into the bank account of a new employee, one they hired over e-mail and never met. What if you took all the money and closed the account?

Well done for spotting and asking the question. In terms of what to do moving forward – cut off all contact with them, block and delete. If you've provided them any personal information at all, keep an extra eye out for identity theft attempts (consider putting a watch on your credit report); and if you've provided any financial information (bank account details etc) then you should contact your bank and let them know.

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Vicky
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"Candidate agrees to use his or her personal bank account (or open a new separate bank account) for the project execution to process corporate payments"

No legitimate company will ever need to, or want to, run company payments through your account. It sounds bogus because it is bogus.

keshlam
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The many red flags have been pointed out in the other answers, the mechanism by which the scam works is likely via finding a way of reversing the deposit of the "Corporate funds" from your account (or making it seem like they exist without ever depositing them).

For example:

  • They mail you a check for $1000
  • They tell you to buy a specific item for $1000
  • You buy the item
  • The check for the "Corporate funds" bounces
  • Now you're out $1000 of your own money
  • The item was worth $5 and the seller was their scam partner
Aubreal
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Yes, that's a scam. No company in their right mind would allow, far less encourage or require, you to use your personal bank account at any stage of corporate transactions. Doing so is just begging for embezzlement to happen.

If you need to make a purchase for the company, legitimate companies will either give you a corporate credit card, have you use a purchase order, or have you submit a receipt and reimburse you.

A lot of this doesn't even make sense. For example:

...processing corporate payments

Other people have pointed this out, but this doesn't seem to be related to a sales job.

...purchasing and selling required antique and vintage jewelry pieces.

Also seems odd for a sales job. What's their (alleged) business model?

Such measures will be taken to prevent any theft or fraud on the Candidate’s side.

Which measures? I don't see any measures that they specify. The way legitimate companies prevent theft or fraud is by doing exactly what I said: only use corporate bank accounts for corporate transactions.

I'm guessing that this is a money mule scam (i.e. they're manipulating you into helping them launder stolen, fraudulent, or otherwise "dirty" money). Either that, or they'll have you pay them in an irreversible way and pay you in a reversible way, as suggested in this answer.

EJoshuaS - Stand with Ukraine
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In any decent jurisdiction, using a personal account for dealing with company money is an accounting dumpster fire.

Money transferred from whatever company account to whatever personal account is considered an income (taxable!) for the person involved.

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fraxinus
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This is a scam because of how the contract is written. So pass on that.

However some answers are incorrect in stating that you never use your own account when doing business for a company.

It happens (or is common, it depends on the country) that you open an account in your name that is used for expenses when traveling. You then present to your company an expense claim and they reimburse you.

Such accounts are "sponsored" by the company (you do not have any signup costs, if any) and the reimbursement time is shorter than the time you have before the money is drawn from your account (this sounds like a typical credit card, but it does not have to be a credit card - you would often have a delayed debit one)

WoJ
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