“Personal assistance” for WHO Scam

Image Ian Aberle ,

Phishing Example:

Personal Assistance Job Offer for WHO.org
Message Body: I am sharing job opportunity information to employees who might be interested in a paid World Health Organization Part-Time job with a weekly pay of $705.00. Attached is further information about the employment details. Kindly follow the steps in the attached document and contact xxxxxx with your non-official email address I.e. Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, icloud etc.) For more details on the job. Take note; this is strictly a work-from-home position.

Clues that it is a phishing message:

  • Very similar to the “UNICEF Part-Time job” Scam.
  • While the sender is an SMU email account, these messages would be from an external source and would be marked as “External Sender.”
  • The body content of the message is sent as an image to avoid SPAM and Phishing filters.
  • The offer is too good to be true and comes unsolicited.
  • The sender asks you to avoid use of professional email channels.
  • Requests personal information.
  • The majority of the email is placed in a PDF file to avoid SPAM filters.

More Information

Here are a few ways to spot and avoid job scams from the FTC:

  • Be suspicious if you’re offered a job without an interview. Scammers might say they’re out of town, too busy, or have another excuse for not talking to you by phone or in person.
  • If you get a check before you start a job, it could be a scam. The person “hiring you” might say: it’s your first paycheck, to use the money to buy supplies, or – for caregivers hired online – that it’s for expenses related to caring for their loved one. But later they’ll tell you to send part of the money to someone else or return it to them. They’ll have excuses, but the main thing to know is this: the check is fake. By the time the bank realizes it, the scammer has your money (if you sent it), and the bank will want you to repay the money you withdrew.
  • Check out potential employers before giving them any sensitive information. Search online for their name, email address, phone number, and even the text of the message they sent. You might find that others have had bad experiences and been scammed by the same people, or in a similar way.

If you are interested in working with World Health Organization (WHO) or other non-profit, start by visiting their official site, such as https://www.who.int/careers.