Safe from Scams: Jobs online often sound too good to be true

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Ivan Rodriguez had posted his resume on a online job site so he assumed an email he received was how the company got his name.

"I got an email telling they are looking for a shipping agent and to work from home. All I had to do was receive the package to my address and reship it to wherever they told me."

He would be paid $2,500 a month, so Ivan took the job.

"They would send me an email telling that the package is coming and that I needed to ship it out as fast I can. That's when I noticed they wanted it too fast-- like it has to go out today."

After a month, Ivan was expecting his first paycheck. When he called, he was given an excuse about technical problems. The second time he called no one answered the phone.

"When you're looking for a job you don't have that much money and what little money you have it gets taken away-- then I'll be mad."

He knew it was all a scam.

"The merchandise a lot of times we find it was purchased through stolen credit cards or compromised accounts," said Alex Sylvester, US Postal Inspector.

Con-men send these fraudulent goods to re-shippers to create an added layer between them and the goods.

"The problem is is the re-shipper is unwitting, doesn't know anything about the scheme, all they know is they are getting the merchandise sent to their house," said Sylvester.

Ivan said he learned his lesson and knows how to use technology to help research any potential new employers.

"You can check on your GPS on the internet, the maps, then you'll know if it is a legitimate business or not. There has to be some action there. If it's, if it's not, maybe it's a Chinese restaurant or maybe it's a laundry mat," said Ivan.

Inspectors said they can't emphasize enough the importance of protecting your personal information. Just in case, always check your credit report, all consumers are entitled to a free yearly report.