GE Healthcare Patricia Bartlett,John Hilton, Clark Williams Told me I had a job, then asked for $478 for laptop w/software sent via western union to start ASAP...I did not send them any money, but I accepted the job offer (thinking it was real) and in turn, re Internet

I was recently looking at job boards for employment and came across a listing for a Data entry/Accounting/Administrative position that offers work from home capability and $46/hr pay, with $34/hr for training. I sent my resume and received a quick response from John Hilton, instructing me to set up a yahoo messenger account and to include a gal named Patricia Bartlett on my buddy list. She would be the one to interview me through messenger. I did so, and was offered a job through GE Healthcare (supposedly)! Sounds great, right?! In order to begin, I was told that I would need particular software that could be purchased through a vendor and loaded onto a laptop that would be sent to me via Fed-Ex, along with a W-2 Form to fill out, and all for only $478.00! I hadn't yet sent any money (still haven't), but I quit my other job for this opportunity, so that I could be available immediately! During this process, a task was sent to me via e-mail to complete through MS Excel and sent back...not being totally confident in my skills with MS Excel, I gave it a shot, but sent a copy along to my mother for review before I would submit it (mom's an expert at this)...In talking with my mother (who ironically works for the fraud department of western union), she told me to stop immediately and not to send anything. So that is what I have done, along with sending all of the conversation and e-mail history to her to review.

I am thankful I didn't send the money to them and now know this is a scam, but what hurts now is having quit my other job to pursue all this...I have a large family to support, feed, and take care of, and this scam couldn't have come at a worse time. Now, there will ultimately be a loss of income of $10/hr for the job I resigned from and if I don't find another job soon, things will only get worse!

If you have even an ounce of suspicion that something just isn't right, don't do it! Protect yourself before you go as far as I have, or as far as the other posts from people who have sent out that money, never to get it back!