According to a media release received from the Muskogee Police Department, the latest scam to hit the Internet has just arrived from Nigeria: Jobs for people seeking part-time positions called “mail assistants” for work done at home. Vacancies are posted on Craigslist.com under the name of ABS Consulting. ABS purports to have facilities throughout Europe, referred to as “Forward Luxembourg.” It claims to be a leading global provider of risk-management services.

Job seekers — typically college students looking for summer work — are told they will provide mail forwarding services for expatriates, international travelers, and seasonal workers around the world. They are asked to receive mail at home, scan the front of each envelope received, e-mail scanned images to the company and ship accumulated mail biweekly, using prepaid UPS or FedEx postage labels provided via e-mail.

After two weeks, assistants get an e-mail promising an $800 paycheck, plus an extra $200 bonus. But to test their integrity, they're told they'll get a check for $2,800 and must mail a check back to return the extra money.

The $2,800 check may look legitimate but, it's bogus. So instead of getting paid, the college student now has to pay the bank the full amount. Worse, the scammer now has access to the student's checking account. And the student is committing a criminal violation by scanning victims' mail.