know your business – Bredemarket

Can You Tell Your Local Officials From Scammers?

This is not a comment on the corrupt nature of politics, but a question.

Apparently people in Kennebunk, Maine are receiving emails from their “Board Commissioners.”

“The email claims the permit is ready and approved, but that the “Board Commissioners” just needs a payment of $4,000 via wire transfer to finish it.

“Lee Feldman, deputy director of community development for the department, said Thursday that the email also named a former board member to try to bolster its apparent legitimacy.”

But Kennebunk citizens are smart, and one reported the scam attempt.

Know Your Locality.

Which is Harder: Know Your Employer, or Know Your Employee?

Of all the KYx acronyms (Know Your Customer, Know Your Business, etc.), two that interest LinkedIn users are Know Your Employer and Know Your Employee. How do you fight fraudulent employers and employees? And how do your prospects learn about your fraud fighting?

Read my latest article on LinkedIn in The Wildebeest Speaks: “Which is Harder: Know Your Employer, or Know Your Employee?“

I Know This “Scam of the Day”: LinkedIn Employment Scams

I read “Scam of the Day” on Scamicide…well, daily. And the January 17 edition discussed a scam I know all too well.

“A recent development is scammers using the name of legitimate companies that are hiring and approaching their victims through LinkedIn’s direct messaging feature. They then create counterfeit websites that look like the websites of the legitimate companies they are posing as and ask the job seekers for personal information…”

And you can guess what happens with that personal information. It doesn’t land you a real job, that’s for sure.

In addition to the tips that Scamicide provides, I have an additional one. BEFORE you provide your resume, before you send them a connection request, or definitely before you engage on Telegram or WhatsApp, ask this question:

“Can you provide me with your corporate email address?”

This usually shuts scammers up very quickly.

But don’t forget that while job applicants are avoiding fraudulent employers, legitimate employers are avoiding fraudulent applicants…perhaps from North Korea.

The Latest Know Your Employer Case

I was messaged on LinkedIn by Jenniffer Martinez, purportedly from HS Hyosung USA. She wanted my email address to send information about a job opportunity.

Why?

“After reviewing your resume and relevant experience, we believe your management experience, professional background, and career stability are a strong match for Yaskawa Group’s current talent needs.”

(Only now did I notice the reference to Yaskawa Group, whatever it is.)

Eventually I told “Jenniffer” that I had contacted her employer directly.

By 11:30 she had deleted her entire conversation, which is why I took screen shots immediately.

And I never even got around to asking her for HER corporate email address.

No word from HS Hyosung USA, but it knows all about Jenniffer now (see final screen shot).

Know Your Employer.

Surfin’ Identity

Imagine if Capitol Records employed age verification in 1963.

Some musicians reach superstardom in their early 20s, feeling tremendous pressure at a young age.

But sometimes they’re younger: when “Surfin’ U.S.A.” hit number 3 on Billboard and Cash Box, surf guitarists Carl Wilson and (soon to depart) David Marks were 16 and 14, respectively.

Of course, Capitol Records would face a bigger problem—Know Your Composer. Brian Wilson did not write the song alone.

Updates on Hungary’s FaceKom and “Beneficial Ownership”

Masha Borak of Biometric Update is writing about FaceKom again.

I discussed Borak’s previous article on FaceKom, which noted the alleged ties between FaceKom and the Hungarian government. The whole thing is a classic example of BENEFICIAL ownership, in which someone who is not the legal owner of a company may still benefit from it.

Borak returned to the theme in the current post:

“FaceKom, the identity verification company used by the Hungarian national digital identity program, has been acquired by major local IT and telecom group, 4iG Informatikai (4iG IT). The deal is now attracting attention among media outlets and political watchers due to the companies’ relationship with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán….

“Recent 4iG’s purchases, however, have been raising questions over the company’s reported links to the Hungarian government, which has been accused by critics of enriching political allies, family, and loyalists through state resources and public contracts.”

The details are in Borak’s post, including:

“4iG chairman and majority investor Gellért Jászai is known for his ties to Orbán and was invited as part of his entourage to Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort after the 2024 U.S. presidential election.”

“[FaceKom’s] previous owner is Equilor Fund Management, owned by the Central European Opportunity Private Equity Fund (CEOM)….While CEOM has no direct links with Orbán, local media investigations have discovered links with companies owned by the Prime Minister’s son-in-law, István Tiborcz.”

Mere links do not necessarily indicate illegal activity, and Hungarian law may differ from laws in other countries, but FaceKom is being watched.

‘Tis the Season to Be Scammy

During this shopping season, you will be offered incredible deals if you act NOW.

But before you respond to that mysterious “secret Santa” and send that gift (or those gift cards) TODAY to receive a highly-valued gift in return…know your business.

After all, ‘tis the season to be scammy.