When excessive ambition can lead to financial loss or physical abduction. -by Christopher Lewis

Twice within the same week I was targeted by a fictitious real estate consultant and fraudulent company for a job offer. I completely fell for the job offer hoax but luckily I never sent them any information about myself due to my suspicious nature and the help of my connections on here. Please exercise extreme caution because these are just the two of the counterfeits I caught on LinkedIn. I speculate there is a significant amount more of these imposters lurking amongst us as you read this. So let's proceed.

1. Victoria Ashley. Pago Pago, America Samoa. She/He claims to be a Real Estate Consultant for Realsure. Now, Realsure is a legit real estate business based out of Chicago and deals primarily with properties within the USA. So why is this woman in Samoa a consultant for them and why is she messaging and flirting with me? I contacted an anonymous employee at Realsure to start some investigating. This person made some calls and returned my call claiming to have never heard of her. If you do a reverse image search of her profile pictures you will find out that this is NOT someone named Victoria Ashley. The woman in the photos is a model/actress named Diora Baird. I knew early on I was speaking to an imposter/scam artist. I must admit, I briefly enjoyed this fallacy of this woman wanting to start a relationship with me. So I let this charlatan carry on with their stories through messenger to get more clues to the imposters real identity. With what little details I could pry out, I surmised that it is a young male, based on this actors resume. The mentioning of crypto trading and never any NASDAQ stocks is a behavior I see within the community of young traders on Stocktwits.com all the time. He is an amateur but I will give him some credit for holding his composure and not immediately requesting investment capital. I reported him to the LinkedIn Staff, The CEO of RealSure and to the actress Diora Baird herself. As the time of this article was written, the phony profile still remains active. But if you pay close attention, the sham is quite obvious. If anyone has lost money or crypto to this imposter, please report it to the proper authorities.

Doesn't she look familiar?

2. I strongly advise you block the profile of human resource manager for climaxng calling themself Douglas Adam on here and everyone associated with Climaxng. Now there is a legit company with the name Climax Oil and Gas with headquarters in Dubai. In fact there are many companies with similar names around the world. I suspect this is why the fraudsters picked this as their name. I was offered a job in Lagos, Nigeria as lead operator. I even shrugged away the inherent acts of murders and kidnappings of industry workers in Nigeria when I saw they were offering me a three year contract and $174k annually. I earned considerate hazard pay when I worked in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. So I ignorantly assumed the pay was so generous because absolutely no American or British National would want to roll the dice and work there. Except for me, the thrill seeker. So I initially threw caution to the wind. But read up on what happened to the convoy of Shell workers in Nigeria last year. Seven were killed and that was not the only terrorist attack on these industrial facilities that happened that year. In fact they are still happening right now. Nigeria loses more oil to theft and terrorism than some countries even export.

https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/gunmen-kill-seven-nigerian-gas-project-site-2021-08-17/

"climaxng" not only wanted copies of my passport but they wanted me personally to arrive in Lagos. I dont know exactly what they would have done with me when I arrived but I have a pretty good guess that in involved a ransom and subsequent death. I incorporated the same research procedures that I used to debunk the Victoria Ashley scammer. I reversed image searched the website photos. I found the same exact photos on an authentic companies web site called KCA Deutag and they are an authentic business. But...couldn't these just be royalty free stock images multiple companies and freelance journalists use? Yes. So then I inspected the pages code and found out the entire site was just mirrored from an authentic company named Imperial Energy Services. The only difference is Imperial's links work when you click on them and you dont receive the "Error 404" message. The final hint (if we needed more) was to use Google Earth to look up the address climaxng provided. I found a KCA Deutag building on one of the addresses provided in the email "climaxng" sent me. But the additional addresses I collected on them led to empty office buildings and what I can only postulate as a massive scam call center with bars on every window for that Russian Gulag, Feng Shui vibe. I did a virtual street walk for a few blocks around multiple locations and I did not see one company sign on any building, car, truck, or poster. Now if they can afford to pay me close to $200,000 a year and offer me a Mercedes company car, Toyota truck and house me, one would assume they could afford to advertise this new business or construct a professional looking home office. However, these people are better con artists and a bit more professional with their authentic looking business letterheads and documents to the Nigerian embassy. The most obvious and first thing to notice in these extortion rackets is the grammar mistakes in the offer letters and various emails. Maybe this is just all American paranoia or just the way of Nigeria. Google Earth not updating the street views. The beginnings and struggles of a new business perhaps? Did I just miss a great opportunity to further my career? As a new amateur internet detective and author it is always possible. But I am warning everyone reading this, be f**king careful out there. Use your head and utilize your connections on LinkedIn. Ask questions. LinkedIn isn't just another social media platform to gloat and post irrelevant memes. I want to thank and acknowledge my anonymous African based friends and workers for their knowledge and wisdom about Nigeria. Especially for the warnings to avoid the work locations near the treacherous Nigerian Delta areas. I also want to thank all my fellow oil field brothers working hard on platforms in the middle of the seas or on land for their input. Just because a business or person has a LinkedIn account doesn't mean you can trust them. It is up to you alone to do your own research. Good luck to you all in your continued success and job searching.

Pictured below is the luxurious, professional headquarters of "climaxng."

This is one of the emails I received. I have underlined what job seekers should find suspicious.

Dear Chris,

We acknowledge the interest and willingness shown by you to work with our management, it's sad to hear that your account was hacked. The Management of Climax oil and gas Limited congratulates you on the successful employment. You are advised to patiently follow the recruitment process as we proceed. The further proceeding is as follows:

Please Note : You are eligible to submit your travel/trade cert documents in your next mail if only your passport is at hand and you are ready to travel at the expected start-up date to work with Climax oil and gas Limited.

Remember that you only have a few weeks of enrollment with Climax oil and gas Limited with all formalities being completed.

NOTIFICATION FOR ELABORATION PROGRAM

Upon your arrival at Lagos International Airport; you shall be received at the Airport by our delegates. Also there will be a mandatory expatriates orientation / elaboration training program, organized for all expatriates by the management to orient newly employed staff about the company .

Position : Lead Operator

Salary: Salary shall be paid at $70 per hour work which makes USD $17,640 , per month work which totals $176,400 annually. Standard working hours shall be 9 hours per day. Note that your off days will not be paid, you can spend your time off in your home country with paid flight to and fro.

Job location: Lagos state, Nigeria

Start Date: You would be expected to resume on site on the 14 - June - 2022

Duration: 3 years (Liable for upward review depending on your commitment and expertise).

Work Time: 28 Days On /14 Days Off.

Any work performed beyond the normal work time, shall be due for an overtime benefit to be paid at $70.00 per hour.

A list of required documents will be forward to you which you are to provide, once all documents have been received and validated we are going to fly you. However, your starting date is very close; therefore you are to make possible arrangements so as to meet– up with the given date(s).

Accommodation: The company residential area has houses 1, 2 and 3 bedrooms suitable to host large families or single status. The company house also makes provision for heating, laundry, garbage, transportation and lots more to ensure maximum comfort to the employee.

B.1 TAXATION a) All forms of compensation referred to in this letter agreement are subject to tax free.

D.2 SAFETY & SECURITY

Safety and Security of personnel (Local/Foreign) and Facilities on Job Locations and communities is our number one priority.

Compensation and Packages:

. Excellent educational assistance benefits with family status contracts.

. Personal effects shipment and excess baggage allowances.

. Access to some of the finest social and recreational facilities.

. Free medical care for you and your family.

BONUS (OR COMMISSION) POTENTIAL In addition, you will be eligible for an incentive bonus for each fiscal year of the Company. The bonus will be awarded based on objective or subjective criteria established by the Company's Chief Executive Officer and approved by the Company's Board of Directors. Your target bonus will be equal to 20 % of your annual base salary. Any bonus for the fiscal year in which your employment begins will be prorated, based on the number of days you are employed by the Company during that fiscal year. Any bonus for a fiscal year will be paid within [number] months after the close of that fiscal year, but only if you are still employed by the Company at the time of payment. The determinations of the Company's Board of Directors with respect to your bonus will be final and binding.

Climax oil and gas Limited shall provide you a flight ticket, After all formalities have been completed to secure your employment with us, this will further enable us to proceed with your travel arrangements.

If this proposal is accepted by you, notify us immediately so that a list of required documents will be forward to you which you are to sign. Congratulations on your successful emergence!

This information is both restricted and confidential therefore this cannot be shared.

Warm Regards

Douglas Adam

Human Resources Manager

CLIMAX OIL AND GAS LTD

Headquarters & Registered Office:

Plot 13B. Moshood Olugbani Street,

Victoria Island, Eti Osa, Lagos,

Phone: +2349162724509

Whatsapp : +2348161277659

Website:www.climaxng.com