This must be a scam but where is the catch?

Question

I received the following email. The link is valid (there is no hidden link). It has to be a scam but what is it?

From the desk of the UNITED NATIONS ORGANISATIONS
Administrative department.
United nations org. (development programme)
846 United Nations Plaza,
2nd Floor, New York, NY 10017
Telephone: [phone]
Telefax: [phone]
Telefax: [phone]

Ref Code: JCA02

Dear Sir,

Good day and greetings to you. your email address was chosen amongst people that would be offered job opportunities at the United Nations organization branch located in New york.

I Dr Louise Arbour High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR) is honoured to offer you the post of a general manager in charge of the post of the UNaids for the children and sick all over the nations and also for the national security, development and peace control.

you can get my full details and informations on this page.

http://www.un.org/sg/senstaff_details.asp?smgID=2

(more below)

The eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – which range from halving extreme poverty to halting the spread of HIV/AIDS and providing universal primary education, all by the target date of 2015 – form a blueprint agreed to by all the world’s countries and all the world’s leading development institutions. They have galvanized unprecedented efforts to meet the needs of the world’s poorest.

Ban Ki-moon of the Republic of Korea, the eighth Secretary-General of the United Nations has offered you quick and certified employment for you as soon as possible if you can get back to us with the useful required particulars that would aid your interview and also purchase you application form.

your interview would be done by early next month so all necessary arrangements and documents should be done for us to know your level of interest and you would also purchase an application form and undergo some training for 2 months.
(more below)

we would need you to get back to us as soon as possible with the following informations so you would be offered job opportunities with the other 20 candidates that have being contacted for this post:

Your full name:

Your Address:

Your working experiences:

Do you have a valid NATIONAL PASSPORT:

Your educational qualifications:

NB: you would also need to scan two passport photographs that would be added on the application form. TO PREVENT SCAM TRANSACTIONS.

we adhere you to get back to us swiftly for us to continue with the processing of your employment.

"Protecting the global environment is largely beyond the capacity of individual countries. Only concerted and coordinated international action will be sufficient. The natural arena for such action is the United Nations."



Louise Arbour

High Commissioner for
Human Rights (UNHCHR)
march 2007

all rights reserved.

I just found the catch. If you reply to the actual letter it goes to a scam address. Everything within the letter is real. It is the "reply to" address that is phony.

Answer 1

also purchase you application form
That right there is a dead tip off. You NEVER have to Purchase an application, if the job is legit and they REALLY want you.

NB: you would also need to scan two passport photographs that would be added on the application form. TO PREVENT SCAM TRANSACTIONS.
Second clear sign of a scam. You are providing all this info and then they want a SCANNED PASSPORT PHOTO as well? Something shouldn't be sitting right when you read that. I'm not sure that is even considered legal in the U.S. Technically it is illegal to photocopy things like Birth Certificates and Social Security cards, don't have a passport but I imagine they say it is illegal to photocopy them as well.

PS that link is meaningless. I clicked after answering to see what it was. Simply an article saying she was really named to the position and a little bio. Doesn't prove a THING about this "job offer." Although it will fool some into thinking the whole thing is legit.

Answer 2

Well, now you know. I do hope you didn't give them any personal information, because that's what the whole thing was about. Think about it: How and why would this world-wide organization pick your email address out of the millions floating in the ethernet, to offer you a job. This is another of the Nigerian scams that are going around, and have been going around for years.

Answer 3

Out of the blue, you've been offered a very senior position at the UN. And it seems they don't even know who you are, or they wouldn't need you to provide documentation.
" (UNHCHR) is honoured " Wouldn't that be '....am honoured'? Does the UN not have a spell checker?
And the organisation is UNHCR - only the one 'H' in there... They got that wrong, too.
This has Very Very Strange written all over it.
I'm going to say it's a scam. Clever-ish, but not that clever.
My advice would be don't even reply.

Answer 4

Um, yeah. Why would the United Nations offer you a position if they don't even know your name? Does that make sense. The catch is that they want to collect your name, address, etc., for the purposes of identity theft.

Answer 5

Congratulations! Last week I won the British Lottery twice, the Swedish Lottery 1 time and a new BMW.

What are you going to do with all of _your_ newfound millions?

Answer 6

Identity theft/fake passports

Answer 7

You have to purchase the application form?? So you have to give them a credit card number and all your personal identification??????

Let's think about this for a while, now do you see the catch???

Forward it to [e-mail]

Answer 8

seems like if you reply, then they can collect payment as 'you would also purchase an application form and undergo some training for 2 months' *wink* .. ya you know..

Answer 9

Never open a email you do not know personally.........This is a scam, never ever give out personal information on the web.

Answer 10

Yeah, they want your name, address, etc. Then it will be email and telephone number. Then some kind of payment.

Don't answer or reply back.