do you think this is a scam or dangerous? (sales, insurance)

[medewe]

Ok, I applied for this listed on facebook for a sales associate position with a family owned company that was just started. I sent my resume and received an email saying that I was going to have an initial phone interview the following day at 8 pm. I received the call and talked to one of the co-owners of the new business. He was very nice and just asked me general interview questions. He mentioned that he would talk to the other co-owner and then there would possibly be another interview or two, but in person, possible dinner or something like that.

(I found out that the business doesn't have an office yet, it was started by father/son and a friend of the son. So if hired, I would work from my own phone/computer for a little bit until they found a place for an office. The company is an interior/exterior design. I couldn't find anything on them by Google. But I figured that was because it's a brand new business that is family owned.)

So, 2 days after the initial interview I received another email saying that they (the friend of the son -that i talked to first- and the son) would like to meet with me at a Doubletree at 6pm.

I'm kinda nervous. I'm positive the meeting will be in the lobby/conference room, not in a hotel room...surely. I emailed them asking where the meeting will be. I'm planning on having my husband tag along and wait in the car or something.

Why interview at that time? Maybe its a dinner interview?

What do you think? Does it sound sketchy?

[George Chong]

Hmmm....I think you have a good head on your shoulders and you have taken the necessary precautions.

I certainly would not go into any hotel room for an "interview". I would make it known, and introduce your husband to them.

Announce that he is your driver for the evening and that he was excited to meet them too. He could then excuse himself and go wait in another part of the hotel and wait for you.

Trust your instincts. I think you will be fine.

Good luck!

[whynot1986]

IMO the best thing that might come of this is they try to scam you for money. And it goes downhill from there. In a poor economy job scams increase drastically, and this smells strongly of one to me. I would love to be corrected, so if you do go (and come back in one piece) please post here again.

Edit: so as to avoid misinterpretation even though I think I'm being very clear, the above is meant to be read as: DON'T GO! Meet in a restaurant. That way they can't meet you in the lobby and say something like "we've got the details in our room upstairs. Let's just pop up there and finish the discussion."

MUCH better safe than sorry. Oh - just in case I didn't come across clearly, DON'T GO!!

[tdatl]

take your husband with you & introduce him as a police officer with whichever force has jurisdiction in that hotel. Bet they zip out to the car to pick up something they forgot to bring in...

[YAZ]

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Seek "conventional" employment.

Don't waste your time with these scammers.

[Shagbark Hickory]

Here's an idea...
The day of the interview, call up the hotel and ask for (interviewer's name)'s room.

I also say no, don't go. This has a lot of red flags. Who interviews people at night?

[got2bright]

OP-did you ever go?

[ss20ts]

I've had several interviews in hotels conference rooms (not hotel rooms) and restaurants with new companies. They were companies moving into my area. Their office/store wasn't ready yet so they had interviews at the hotels instead.

[DiderotsGhost]

It doesn't sound "fishy" to me from the description you gave. So my first question would be, is there any information that you are leaving out that might be leading you to conclude that it's a scam?

I often find it's difficult to describe in words why I believe something is a scam; I just kinda smell it out. Little awkward bits of conversation that don't seem to make sense. Too much generic information (that's what those scam life insurance companies use --- they're always interested in you for "a position" but they can't tell you precisely what position it is).

I'd say just use some common sense. Meeting at a public place (not a hotel room) as everyone has suggested is a good idea. 6 PM might seem like an odd time, but consider this --- if they are just starting their own business right now, it's completely possible that they also have day jobs for the time being. The hotel doesn't sound odd either because where else are you going to find a professional area if they don't have an office yet.

Honestly, I think the people in here screaming "DON'T GO!!!" are the types of people who hide in their safe suburban havens all day afraid at all times that something is going to happen to them. It doesn't sound all that fishy to me --- unless you're leaving out something. In fact, most scammers represent themselves as being from a larger company (the thought is, if it's a large company, it must be legit!). And if they're scammers, they're likely after money.

Surely you have some initial impressions of them after the phone interview. Did you feel comfortable?

[ApostolicFlightAttendant]

Some identity thieves post fake job ads on job boards with the aim of stealing identities by obtaining personal information -- a technique called "phishing." Phishers pose as a trustworthy person or business to acquire sensitive information, such as passwords and credit-card numbers.They may email job hunters after obtaining their contact information from resume databanks, often dangling professional positions, says Ms. Dixon. The "employer" may use the guise of a job application or interview to secure information, such as a Social Security number, bank-account number or a scan of a driver's license. Or a job hunter may be asked to provide information for a pre-employment background check or arranging a direct-deposit account. [See an example of an email for a phishing scam1.]"It's easy to be tricked into giving out your personal information when you are told they will conduct a pre-employment background check," says Beth Givens, director of the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, a consumer-advocacy group in San Diego. "However, you should not give out your Social Security number or a scan of your driver's license until you are sure it is a legitimate operation."