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Releases Archive 2007

Hoax Job Offers
It has come to the attention of AFBI that a number of people are in receipt of job offers/opportunities, ultimately leading to requests for money, from someone claiming to be an ex-employee of either AFBI, Science Service or ARINI (Hillsborough).
AFBI does not offer jobs in this manner, nor has it any knowledge of genuine ex-employees making such offers, and anyone receiving such an email can be certain that it is fraudulent.  If you have received a suspicious job offer  or request for money purporting to be from AFBI or an ex-employee then you can verify its authenticity by contacting us at info@afbini.gov.uk.   If you have responded to such an offer, you are advised to contact the Police Service of Northern Ireland who are investigating this matter (email info@psni.pnn.police.uk).

Sample communication surrounding latest hoax:
"I am a somewhat multitalented man and I do quite a lot of traveling and get to meet quite a lot of people.    I just resigned my job as a research scientist for ARINI (Agricultural Research Institute of Northern Ireland) which has now amalgamated with Rural Development (DARD) Science Service on the 1st of April 2007 to form the Agri-Food & Biosciences Institute (AFBI), but I still work as a freelance consultant for the institute which gives me very much time to do my own work which is basically being a freelance researcher who could be employed by research institutes to do research projects anywhere in the world.  
Presently, I have just been granted a funding to head a research project in the tropical regions of West Africa regarding rare and vulnerable plant species and this would be commencing very soon,    However my funding were by my American counterparts which sent me the bunch of payments mostly in US based money orders. Getting an accountant in the states or opening an account would have been my best choice but I have a deadline to meet and taking any of those choices would cost me time and a whole lot of other requirements I am not ready to deal with as I would be traveling a lot in the meantime. So presently, assuming you would be able to deal with cash, I would be willing to employ you on contract basis to be my payment representative back in the states, this way I could issue and make these money orders/ cashiers cheques out to you, you could then cash them easily, withdraw 10% of the total amount on these money orders as your commission and then send the rest back to me through Western Union wire transfer. Bear it in mind that we would be dealing with quite a handful of cash and you could be making up to $4000 just working with me in a short period of time."


Published: Tue 04 Sep 2007