Beware email scam that uses The Oil Drum name

Updated January 17, 2009

We have been alerted to an email scam that uses The Oil Drum name. An unknown party or parties has been sending emails offering employment at "The Oil Drum International". These emails give The Oil Drum's web address at the end.

These emails are fraudulent. The senders are not associated with The Oil Drum and they are impersonating The Oil Drum staff in order to perpetrate a scam. Do not reply to these messages, and definitely do not divulge any personal information or send any money.

The Oil Drum is not hiring and we do not send job solicitations by email. We will never request your personal information, nor will we ever request that you send us money.

Three variations of the fraudulent email are given below.

From: John Martins <oildrumpec@hotmail.com>
Subject: Oil Drum International -- Job Offer Available
Date: Wednesday, December 17, 2008, 9:07 AM

I am Mr. John Martins, Job Instructor for Oil and Gas International; am presenting you a Part Time Job. Work from Home/Temporarily and get paid weekly. We are glad to offer you a job position in our organization, The Oil Drum International. We need someone to work for the company as a Representative/Book keeper. This is in view of us not having an office presently in the USA, AUSTRALIA and CANADA. You don't need to have an office and this certainly won't disturb any form of work you have presently.
YOUR TASKS ARE:
1. Receive payment from Customers and co-ordinate payments.
2. Receiving and re-mailing of official letters.
3. Cashing or processing of Payment at your Bank.
4. Deduct 10% which will be your percentage/pay on Payment processed
5. Forward balance after deduction of percentage/pay to any of the offices you will be contacted to send funds to through Money transfers.
This takes barely hours, so it will give us a possibility to get customer's payment almost immediately. For example you got $3000.00, you take your income/benefit: $300.00 Send to us: $2700.00.First month you will have 15-20 transactions on $3000.00- $12000.00 so you may calculate your income. Our payments will be issued out in your name and you can have them cashed in your bank or other Cashing Services, deduct your benefit and forward the balance as we will instruct.
We are looking only for the worker who satisfies our requirements and will be an earnest assistant and we understand it is an unusual and incredible job offer. The job offer is legitimate and applicable to citizens of USA, AUSTRALIA, AND CANADA, Only. We are glad to offer this job position to you. If you feel that you are a serious and honest worker and you want to work for The Oil Drum International.
OUR REQUIREMENTS:
1. FULL NAMES
2. ADDRESS (NOT P.O.BOX)
3. CITY, STATE, PROVINCE
4. TERRITORY, ZIP CODE:
5. COUNTRY:
6. PHONE :( PREFERABLE MOBILE)
7. AGE:
8. GENDER:

Mr. John Martins
The Oil Drum International
Website: www.theoildrum.com
Subject: ***REPRESENTATIVE NEEDED URGENTLY***
Date: Fri, 14 Nov 2008 16:54:49 +0100
From: Garry Kent<oilngas.kent111@gmail.com>
Reply-To: <oilngas.kent222@gmail.com>

I am Mr. Garry Kent , Job Instructor for Oil and Gas International. Am here to Present to you a Part Time Job. Work from Home/Temporarily and get paid weekly. We are glad to offer you a job position in our organization, The Oil Drum International. We need someone to work for the company as a Representative/Book keeper.This is in view of our not having an office presently in the USA , AUSTRALIA and CANADA and REST OF THE WORLD.You don't need to have an office and this certainly won't disturb any form of work you have presently.

YOUR TASKS ARE:

1. Receive payment from Customers and co-ordinate payments.
2. Receiving and re-mailing of official letters.
3. Cashing or processing of Payment at your Bank.
4. Deduct 10% which will be your percentage/pay on Payment processed
5. Forward balance after deduction of percentage/pay to any of the offices you will be contacted to send funds to through Money transfers.

This takes barely hours, so it will give us a possibility to get customer's payment almost immediately.For example you got $3000.00, you take your income/benefit: $300.00 Send to us: $2700.00.First month you will have 15-20 transactions on $3000.00- $12000.00 so you may calculate your income. Our payments will be issued out in your name and you can have them cashed in your bank or other Cashing Services,deduct your benefit and forward the balance as we will instruct.

We are looking only for the worker who satisfies our requirements and will be an earnest assistant and we understand it is an unusual and incredible job offer.The job offer is legitimate and applicable to citizens of USA, AUSTRALIA, AND CANADA, Only. We are glad to offer this job position to you. If you feel that you are a serious and honest worker and you want to work for The Oil Drum International.

OUR REQUIREMENTS:
1. FULL NAMES
2.ADDRESS (NOT P.O.BOX)
3.CITY,STATE, PROVINCE
4.TERRITORY,ZIP CODE:
5.COUNTRY:
6.PHONE:(PREFERABLE MOBILE)
7.AGE:
8.GENDER:
9.EMAIL ADDRESS
10.BANK NAME(OPTIONAL)



Mr. Garry Kent
The Oil Drum International
Mobile: +447011135972
Website: www.theoildrum.com
Email:-oilngas.kent222@gmail.com
From: JAMES HOWARD
Date: Thu, Jan 15, 2009 at 11:25 PM
Subject: !!!Job Offer!!!

WE HAVE JOB OFFER AVAILABLE FOR YOU. THE JOB OPPORTUNITY IS FOR PEOPLE IN USA/CANADA/UNITED KINGDOM, EUROPE AND SOME PARTS OF AMERICA. WE ARE BASED IN UK, BUT WE HAVE BEEN RECEIVING ORDERS FROM NORTHERN AMERICA AND OTHER PARTS OTHER ABOVE MENTION COUNTRIES, WHICH WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO PROCESS COMPLETELY SINCE WE DO NOT HAVE PAYMENT RECEIVING PERSONNEL IN THESE AREAS. WE HAVE DECIDED TO RECRUIT PAYMENT OFFICERS ONLINE HENCE WE WILL NEED A REPRESENTATIVE TO PROCESS OUR PAYMENTS IN THESE AREAS. YOUR TASKS ARE; 1. RECEIVE PAYMENT FROM CUSTOMERS 2. CASH PAYMENT AT YOUR BANK OR ANY CASHING FACILITIES NEAR YOU. 3. DEDUCT 10% WHICH WILL BE YOUR PERCENTAGE/PAY ON PAYMENT PROCESSED. 4. FORWARD BALANCE AFTER DEDUCTION OF PERCENTAGE AND THE WESTERN UNION CHARGES FEES PAY TO ANY OF THE OFFICES YOU WILL BE CONTACTED TO SEND PAYMENT TO. THIS IS DONE EITHER THROUGH WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER OR MONEY GRAM.THIS JOB TAKES ONLY 3-7 HOURS PER WEEK. 5.YOU WONT BE PAYING FOR ANY TAXES OR VATS CAUSE ALL AS BEEN TAKING CARE BY COMPANY. 6.YOU WILL BE GETTING $3,000 AS YOUR BASIC MONTHLY SALARY IF INTERESTED, GET BACK TO US VIA EMAIL WITH THE FOLLOWING INFORMATIONS; FULL NAME -------------------- ADDRESS --------------------- CITY--------------- STATE--------------- ZIP CODE--------------- COUNTRY--------------- PHONE NUMBERS -------------- GENDER----------- MARITAL STATUS------------- AGE----------- NATIONALITY------------ BANK NAME------- EMAIL ADDRESS----------- PRESENT JOB POSITION------ REGARDS, JAMES HOWARD POSITION: PAYMENT OFFICER CONTACT EMAIL:theoildrum.jobconsult@live.com THE OIL DRUM PLC DISCUSSIONS ABOUT ENERGY AND OUR FUTURE WEBSITE: http://www.theoildrum.com TIME 24HRS DAILY