Alert : Fake employment emails Williams Shipping

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Alert notice: Fake employment offers via email purporting to be from Williams Shipping

There has been an increase in phishing emails aimed at seafarers. The purpose of these emails to is both gain information & the trust of the seafarer and scam them into thinking they have been offered a lucrative position with Williams Shipping. At some point during the process they will be asked for payment for "documents" Visa/NI or recruitment fees of arround 740gbp payable via Moneygram.

Example

De : WILLIAMS SHIPPING UK. <williamsshipping@representative.com>
Envoyé : lundi 24 octobre 2016 12:24
À : xxxxxxxxx
Objet : LETTER OF INVITATION APPROVED

WILLIAM SHIPPING
Manor House Avenue,
Millbrook, Southampton
SO15 0LF,United Kingdom.
Tel: +447087694079.Dear xxxxxxxx.
Approved Job application number:WS-APP-211.

Kindly  be informed that We are ready to welcome you to our organization.Please note that we will conduct a medical fitness test on you upon your arrival to the UK.Please be advise that you are required to contact the Immigration Departemnt ASAP with the email contact below and informed them that I(Mr.Peterson Garry) referred you to them for the processing of your Insurance Document
NOTE:We will book your flight ticket while you will pay for the processing fees of your Insurance Document which will be refunded back to you upon your arrrival to the UK in 7 working days with us.Make sure this is done as soon as you receive this email.Attached to this email is a copy of your invitation letter you are required to forward a copy to the immigration service with the below contact details.
IMMIGRATION SERVICES.
E-Mail: info@uk-immigrationservice.com
Contact Person:Mlawson Williams
Designation:INSURANCE/PERMITS OPERATIONS.

Kindly contact the above office via email and let them know that you've been offered a job from Mr.Peterson Garry(William Shipping UK )Inform them that they should assist you in processing your Insurance Document and get back to you with the required information you should provide to them  and the Official fees too be paid.

Congratulations on your success

Regards
Peterson Garry
Recruiting Desk.

Icon Cybersail Assessment

Similar mass mails and offers of fake employment purporting to be from K-line & Vroon, these use the Williams Shipping name.

Since they are contacting seafarers on personal emails, it means that many of these mails will reach the intended recipient due to lack of corporate style security checks.

Note however the formatting of the email is not great, and that genuine shipping companies would not ask fees for recruitment services/visas/national insurance.

General advice

  • If you are unsure contact directly the shipping company offering the position using the publicly available contact details (Do not use the details on the mail/documents they are to the scammer!)
  • The quality of documents and emails will be low resolution graphics
  • Genuine shipping companies do not ask for fees/payment
  • Check for correct corporate email addresses vs outlook.com/gmail.com/yahoo.com addresses

We have a full article here on how the scam works

Note these emails do not come from Williams Shipping and there is no indication that Williams Shipping systems were compromised in anyway.

 

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Written by

Lee Williamson

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