The Harris Black Watch is a victims' rights group founded in 2002 to
monitor the business practices of convicted employment agency con-artist Harris
Black (aka Harry Williams, Harry Black, Harry Simon, John Ashton, Steven Shaw, David Gogo,
Mark Canterbury, Allan Namer, Mark Linton, Tom Lang, Kenneth Greenberg, Harry Kennedy,
Lisa Flaherty, Greg Thompson, Martin
Feldman, Jennifer Mason) and to warn other Canadians about
him.
All the information on this website has
been documented in newspapers and TV news reports about Black from December
2001 until today.
This is Harris Black.
A December 10, 2003 CFCF
News report caught Black on tape
claiming he was a pediatrician at the Montreal Children's Hospital
But the photos below are
NOT
Harris Black.
They are the fake photo that Black
shares with people on Internet dating web sites.
NOT
Harris Black
HARRIS BLACK: AN OVERVIEW
Harris
Black has a well-documented history of taking money from consumers for
job-placement services that he does not provide. He was convicted in Quebec
and fined $2,000 for violating the Consumer Protection Act in 2000. Black
paid the fine, but continued to run his business, under new names, including
Addition 2000, Emploi 2000, Find-A-Job, Phoenix, and Roxton
Marketing.
According to the Quebec Consumer Protection
Office and court records, 44 people have filed complaints or claims
against Black from 1996 to 2002. CFCF News reported in March 2002
that there were likely "hundreds" of victims. In fact, the Quebec Consumer
Protection Office charged Black with additional infringements to the
Consumer Protection Act in 2002. After about two years of delays, the case
was heard on Friday, June 18, 2004 and Black plead guilty to 12 of the 28
charges. He has nine months (until about March 2005) to pay the fine of
$7,200 (or $600 for each offense).
There are still about 12 cases against Black pending in Small Claims Court
in Quebec. To date, we know of now legal proceedings in British Columbia
against Black, where he operated from November 2002 until about November
2003, and then again from May 2007 to July 2007.
View a PDF
with a list of all the legal complaints against Harris Black in
Montreal.
Black returned to Montreal during the summer of 2004 and was arrested for
theft. A judge was set to hear the case of February 5, 2005, but Black was
out of the country. Black spent time in Pattaya, Thailand and returned to
Montreal in the summer of 2005. Harry Black made the news again after women came
forward complaining about his behaviour. He lived in Thailand from
September 2005 to May 2007.
He returned to Vancouver in May 2007 where he started conducting fake job
interviews in public locations, such as Starbucks. This led to more TV news
reports about him. He also got warning letters from the BC Better Business
Bureau in July 2007 for using their logo on his CV/resume writing website,
www.CareerExperts.org.
Black returned
to Thailand in August 2007 where he runs his web based resume writing
services. Complaints about the service occurred immediately following the
launch of the website. Again, Black is alleged to be taking money for
services he does not provide -- this time using the PayPal payment system.
Local law enforcement in the United States has recommended victims of
Black's latest scam
contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Internet fraud unit.
THE SCAM
How did the original employment agency scam work? Here's an excerpt from the weekly
Hour
newspaper, which did an expose on Black in February 2002:
"When I got to the interview, he said I had to
sign a contract and his payment would be my first week of salary,"
explained Bailey last week. She gave him $20 up front, charged to her
credit card.
But the jobs Black provided soon turned out to
be far from what he promised, she said. "The jobs he sent me had little
to do with my experience or qualifications. Sometimes I didn't get
interviews: sometimes the companies said they had no jobs, and some said
they had told Black to stop referring people."
Worse, two weeks later Black put a $680 charge
on her credit card, she said. When she complained, he said it was "part
of the contract," that he could take her first week's salary even if she
didn't have a job. His earlier assurances to the contrary weren't
guarantees, but "just you and me alone in the office." When she said she
wanted her money back, she said Black told her only people who "have
something for me" get refunds.
Visit the News Reports section
to read every news story about Harris Black from January 2002 until
today.
One of the many news articles on Harris
Black
Black repeated the employment scam over and over again. He
eventually closed his business for good once the steady stream of newspaper
articles and television reports became too much. He left Montreal in spring
2002 for Vancouver, BC.
It wasn't long before Black was up to his old
tricks. But this time, the Harris Black Watch had been formed, this website
was online and our victim's rights group was monitoring his attempts to collect
CVs via the Internet.
BLACK HITS VANCOUVER. VANCOUVER HITS BACK
By November 2002, the Harris Black Watch had received several e-mail messages
from people in Vancouver who were suspicious of Black. These people were
clever enough to do a Google
search for "Harris Black", found this website and began to share information with us.
By January 2003, we received the first confirmation
that Black was attempting to restart his "job-placement" business in
Vancouver. The previous month, Black had posted job openings for a
data-entry clerk at the
University of British Columbia (UBC) student centre job board. Several female students applied for the job and went for interviews
with Black.
We received several e-mail messages from these
female students. In every case, the student was suspicious of Black and disturbed by his behaviour.
For instance, he
asked inappropriate questions (eg, "Do you have a boyfriend?") and conducted
some interviews in his Jeep Cherokee.
This news was deeply disturbing because, according
to official Quebec court documents, Black pled guilty to Sexual Assault
(art. 271-1-B), and an Indecent Act (art. 173-1) in 1999 and served
18 months probation. These two charges stem from two separate incidents with
two different women on December 9, 1997 and November 28, 1997, respectively.
Black, isn't just a convicted scam artist -- he is a convicted sexual
assault offender in Quebec.
CV HARVESTING AGAIN
A month passed before Black resurfaced. In May 2003, Black
posted help wanted notices
on Internet discussion groups (van.general, van.jobs, bc.general, and bc.jobs). Black used the names Lisa Stanford, Jane Sweeney
and Heather Caulfield. The "companies" she/he claimed to run included
Global Consulting, an
IT recruiting firm, an
ethnic recruiting firm, and a
human resources firm.
This "CV
harvesting" technique was the exact one he used in Montreal to get CVs from
unsuspecting people. He would collect CVs from unsuspecting people for bogus jobs.
This is how he found unemployed people. He would then call the
applicant several weeks later -- this time using a different name. He would
invite them to visit his placement service. The victims never understood how he got their contact info, but
they visited his "agency" anyway because they needed a job and
thought he could help.
THE MEDIA INVESTIGATES
Following a tip from our victims' rights group, BC Global News in Vancouver
decided to re-investigate Black again and confirmed that our fears we justified.
Black had rented a turnkey office space downtown and was again scamming students looking
for work. This time the business,
located at 701 West Georgia Street,
Suite 1501 was called Global Consulting or
Ideal Personnel.
On May 28, 2003, reporter Ted Chernecki
visited his office and found a Capilano College student in the lobby who had just
paid "John Ashton" $200 to help her find a job. He demanded the money up
front and preferred that she pay with Interac (debit card) but said that he
also took Visa. (Visit the News Reports section to view the TV news
reports.)
BC Global News did two reports
on Harris Black in May 2003.
The following day, BC Global News did a follow-up
report on Black/Ashton. Several people had seen the previous day's report and were able to
confirm that "John Ashton" was Harris Black. A female, who requested that her
identity be protected, said that Ashton/Black asked her many personal
questions during their meeting.
"He started to get into more personal questions about
my life that was not necessary for [the job]. He was asking me if I was
attached... and just really started feeling really uncomfortable."
Source: BC Global News, May 29, 2003
A male client said that Black told him that he'd
have someone in his office work on the client's resume. When the client
finally received the resume, he discovered that it was only a half page and
looked as if "a child had been working on it." Once again, Black was
charging for services he did not provide and asking females inappropriate
questions.
As a result of the two news reports, Black was asked
to leave the turnkey office that he was leasing
on West Georgia Steet. Also, Capilano College immediately put up a warning to students
about Black
on their website. But Black wasn't about to give up.
BLACK TRIES AGAIN...
Black opened a new turnkey office in North Vancouver at 145 West 15th St. in August 2003. He even got a
business license from the City of North Vancouver. The new business name was
Horizon.
The city received complaints about Black soon after
he opened his doors and they quickly revoked his business license. But not
before Black cashed in on a "steady stream" of clients.
Marie Lucas, the manager at Diversified
Business Services (DBS) offices on West 15th Street in North Vancouver
who processed his application to lease a turnkey office, said she was
shocked to learn about Black's background and said she had no idea that
he was anything other than what his references said he was. According to
Lucas, Black was "a nice, professional person who told us he had about
5,000 job opportunity files."
According to Lucas, "a steady stream"
of clients were showing up every day for the last two weeks for
interviews with Black.
This caused a stir in North Vancouver as the city council came under fire
for not properly looking into the people to whom they gave licenses. Read
this editorial in the North Shore News for the fallout.
For the record, this is the North Vancouver council
resolution regarding Harris Black:
9.1 REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
Moved by Councillor Clark, seconded by Councillor Fearnley, that the
following recommendation of the Committee of the Whole in camera be
ratified:
(a) Business License - File: 3045-03
PURSUANT to the hearing held in-camera on September 15, 2003:
THAT the business license issued to Harris Black to operate the business
Horizon be cancelled for reasonable cause pursuant to Section 660 of the
Local Government Act;
AND THAT staff be directed to take all steps necessary to effect the
aforesaid cancellation.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
...AND AGAIN
Around Sept. 25, 2003 we received several e-mail messages from UBC
students who had visited "Harry Black" at his latest new office. This one
was back in the City of Vancouver at 1311 Howe St., Suite 311. They were
responding to this ad on the UBC Alma Mater Society's (AMS) Joblink Web
site.
Organization HMB CONSULTING
Job Position OFFICE CLERKS
Pay Rate 13/hr
Application Deadline 2003-09-11
Job Skills BE FRIENDLY AND KNOW MS-OFFICE
Comments PLEASE EMAIL RESUMES IN MS-WORD ONLY TO IBM2003@SHAW.CA THANK
YOU!
Recipient S.W.
Email IBM2003@SHAW.CA
Address 311 - 1311 HOWE ST.
City
Postal Code V6Z2P3
Here is an excerpt from the Ubyssey newspaper report
of this incident, including facts about how Black scams job searchers to do
free labour.
Three students then complained to
Joblink and UBC Career Services about the job posting. Complaints were
also registered with the Vancouver Police, said Norjberg.
The complaints came when Black
allegedly told two students replying to the posting that for $100 he
would spruce up their resume and distribute it to companies looking for
employees.
"That should be a warning bell to the
students," said Una Walsh, acting director of UBC Career Services. "If
you are replying to a job ad a legitimate employer would never be asking
you for money."
Another student complained about going
for a job interview and being put to work for three unpaid hours making
calls to male applicants. The calls were to find a candidate to fill an
undetermined job from a stack of resumes, said Norjberg.
"Our concern is that he was doing this
to a bunch of students so that he could get a bunch of free labour out
of it," she said.
It turns out that a woman named
SW[name removed on request]
obtained a business licence from the City of Vancouver. A few days later, she
informed the office people that her "friend", Harris Black, would be
taking over the business. It is unclear at this time whether SW realized
what type of business Black was starting up again. Black may have taken
advantage of a good person who was too willing to trust him.
Harris Black gave this business card to clients.
After
several complaints to the city and to the building manager, Black was
evicted from the office. Sources tell us that Black used several curse words
when he learned his fate.
MEANWHILE, BACK IN QUEBEC... The Suburban reported in October 2003 that new charges have been filed
against Black by the Quebec Consumer Protection Office. If convicted, Black
faces a fine of $4,800 -- in addition to the $6,464 of the previous case
still moving slowly through the courts. Sadly, Black has gotten his mother
involved in his legal mess. The Suburban reports that:
"...Malka Schwartzman has been charged
with 13 counts under the Quebec Consumer Protection Act in connection with
Phoenix Inc., a placement agency operated by Black. According to l'Inspecteur generale des institutions financières, the company opened in
Schwartzman's name in 2001 and closed last year. Schwartzman pleaded not
guilty, but faces $600 in fines for each count, according to Levac."
IN THE NEWS AGAIN In early December 2003, CFCF News in Montreal reported on Black's online
dating activities with a warning to single women. They used a hidden camera
and set up a date where Harris claims that he is a pediatrician. They also
spoke to a woman who dated Black and felt betrayed by his false claims about
being a doctor.
In late December 2003,
Hour newspaper published their third expose on Black. This time, they
focused on Black's online dating habits.
To Sabrina (not her
real name) the man she met on Match.com was "every single mommy's dream," a
kind, considerate pediatrician who told jokes, performed magic tricks for
her son and indulged her love of dancing. Soon they were intimate and she
trusted him enough to loan him a spare apartment key.
"Fifteen hours later I caught him in my bed with someone else. Let me
tell you, gone were the manners and there was no remorse on his part," she
says.
Black also made the Suburban's
top newsmakers of
2003 for the second straight year. He was featured in the "Known to police"
section.
HE'S NOT A DOCTOR, AND HE DOESN'T PLAY ONE ON TV
The new year, 2004, didn't start off well for Black as he was, again,
featured on a CFCF News report on
January 16, 2004. They reported that the Quebec's College of
Physicians is investigating Black for misrepresenting himself as a
pediatrician. The fine? Between $600 and $6,000 per incident.
On January 22, 2004,
Hour newspaper reported that Black failed to show up in court (again)
for charges that he violated the Consumer Protection Act. His lawyer got the
case moved to April 14, 2004.
CONSUMER PROTECTION FINES BLACK AGAIN
After about two years of delays, the case against Black by the Quebec
Consumer Protection Office was heard on Friday, June 18, 2004.
Hour newspaper reported that Black plead
guilty to 12 of the 28 charges against him and was fined $7,200 ($600 for
each offense). He has nine months (until about March 2005) to pay the fine.
The 13 charges against Malka Schwartzman were dropped. Here is the French
press release from the Quebec Consumer Protection Office regarding the
Harris Black case (English
translation).
BACK TO VANCOUVER...
In August 2004, Black posted notices on Internet discussion groups to find
people to buy his
black Jeep Cherokee,
two computers, and to
sub-let his apartment. We also received notice from several sources that
he intended to move to Vancouver on or about September 2004. In other posts,
Black specifies that he is interested in a furnished apartment in Vancouver
for only a month or so (also see
here and
here) and a
mountain bike.
CHARGED WITH THEFT
In November 2004, CFCF News reported that Black was arrested for theft in Montreal. The case is moving through the
courts. They also report that Black was traveling through Thailand in
November.
BACK TO THAILAND
In December 2004,
Harris posted a message on a Vancouver discussion group looking for
someone to teach him how to speak Thai. He states that he is moving to
Thailand. In a post on a Thailand-based discussion group, Harris says he is looking for split a cab from
the airport in Thailand with a fellow traveler when he arrived back in
Thailand on December 30, 2004.
New information suggests that Black is living temporarily in
Pattaya, Thailand. However, he may be looking for a more permanent
address near there.
VICTIM BEATS BLACK IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT
One of Black's victims, Bonnie L., won a claim against Black in Small Claims
Court on February 22, 2005 for $700 + 5% interest + $62 filing fee. She has
10 years to claim her judgment from Black (or perhaps others legally
associated with his former business). Black didn't appear in court and so
lost the case.
If Black took your money for services he did not provide,
you too can win a judgment against him in Small
Claims Court. You have up to three years from the
date that you paid him for his "services". It is fairly easy to do
a claim. There are people who are there to help you. If you haven't
started the proceeding, do it right away.
VICTIM GETS HER MONEY BACK
One of the saddest parts of this story is how Harris Black has gotten his
mother involved in his mess. By all accounts, his family is well-respected
and good honest people. But because Harris Black has left Canada, his
victims have been forced to get their money from his mother--whose name
Black used on at least one of his business registration papers in Montreal.
Bonnie L., who won her case against Black (and his mother) was finally able
in mid-March 2005 to collect the money awarded to her in court. Black's
parents were forced to clean up his mess. As more cases move through the
courts, I suspect they will be forced to continue cleaning up his mess(es).
It's bad enough to scam unemployed people out of their money. But that's
nothing compared to putting your elderly parents through a legal mess
because you don't have the decency to make things right on your own.
ANOTHER VICTIM WINS JUDGMENT AGAINST BLACK
Tina W. won a judgment against Harris Black in Quebec Small Claims Court on
April 18, 2005. She was swindled out of $700 by Employment 2000 back in
2001. The judge awarded Tina $700 + interest + court costs.
Remember, if Harris Black took money from you for services he did not
provide, you have up to 3 years to file a claim and 10 years to collect any Small Claims Court
judgment.
Contact us at
senseigrm@sympatico.ca if you
need information on how to proceed. Remember, you are not alone. Black
conned many people. Don't let him get away with it. If he owes you money,
let the courts help you get it back. That's what the courts are there for.
NEW COMPANY, SAME SCAM
Harris Black returned to Montreal in spring/summer 2005 and is once again
posting help wanted ads and conducting job interviews. His new alias is
Harry Williams. His new company is called Pik Perfect. His new
e-mail address is pikperfect@sympatico.ca.
Black has been interviewing people at the Java U cafe on Monkland St. He
posted job offers at the
Concordia Student Union Off Campus Job and Housing Bank and in the Gazette. Victims have already started to contact the Harris Black Watch.
For the record, this is the job ad he posted at Concordia:
We are a multimedia group seeking several qualified employees
with good command of English to fill this post. Please apply by email:
pikperfect@sympatico.ca
*please write "CONCORDIA OFFICE CLERK" in subject of email.
www.bunk1.com
We are a photography company that uploads photos to our website so families
can see their loved ones today while on our site when they themselves cannot
be present. For example, your child is at summer camp for 2 months. With our
site, you could actually see photos of your child today. It’s the next best
thing to visiting. With nursing homes, many family members cannot attend in
person so we do the photos regularly and they may see their loved ones on a
more regular basis albeit in photos.
We work with summer camps, animal kennels, tour groups, and nursing homes.
Our market keeps expanding and we constantly need more photographers. No
experience is necessary and we provide equipment unless you prefer to use
your own. Schedule may be full time or part time. You are responsible for
visiting each client and taking candid photos. They are not posed or
professional. We do NOT do photos of an adult nature. See www.bunk1.com.
Please email your cv to pikperfect@sympatico.ca.
Feel free to include any photos or only a cv.
BRINGS
WOMEN TO COUNTRY HOUSE, GETS REBUFFED, STRANDS THEM The Link (Concordia University student
newspapers) reported in September 2005 that Black kept himself busy this
summer 'interviewing' women for bogus jobs. Black placed ads in newspapers,
met the women applicants in cafes and invited them to his country house as
part of the job application process.
The man Jessica claims is Black arranged for a
job interview at the Java U on Monkland. A few weeks later, he picked her up
at her NDG home and took her to his Clarenceville family cottage for a test
photo shoot.
She says she ate lunch and drank wine with Black, but became anxious when she
realized they weren't really going to be taking any photos. She noticed his
e-mail inbox open on his laptop and memorized the address. Later, she says
Black asked to take nude photos of her, and have sex with her, both of which
she quickly declined. At the end of the evening, he refused to take her home.
"He said, 'Here's the bus stop, take the bus to Montreal.' It was a trailer
park," Jessica says. "I was crying, begging him to take me home."
After a minor struggle, he left her at a depanneur where she says a clerk
witnessed their dispute. The next morning, she ran an Internet search on
Black's e-mail address and found McHugh through
www.harrisblackwatch.com.
Another woman had an even more disturbing story.
At the cottage, Mercado says she refused Black's advances, which she
claims greatly annoyed him. After she declined a drink from him, he flew
into a rage.
"He tried again to kiss me, but this time he jumped on me and he threw
me on the sofa-bed," Mercado says from Peru. "I started to scream and he
laughed."
He herded her into the car and threw her out on a deserted stretch of
road. She found help after about a mile's walk, and made it home several
hours later.
BLACK SENTENCED TO ONE YEAR PROBATION FOR THEFT
Harris Black was found guilty of theft (article 334.b.ii of the criminal
code) in
Montreal Municipal Court (room 1.40) on Friday, September 23, 2005. He had been
arrested on or about July 22, 2004 for allegedly stealing 10
tickets from the Just for Laughs festival where he was volunteering.
The judge sentenced him to serve one year probation and pay a $200 fine. The prosecution
had asked for a $300 fine but Black's defense lawyer said that
Black's finances were very low since he hadn't worked for 12 months. He
said that Black's application for legal-aid showed that he made $3,234 in 2004.
(Amazingly, Black was still able to spend five months in Thailand in 2005.)
The conditions of the probation are to keep the peace and stay away from the
Just for Laughs people, building, and organization in general. He is also
never allowed to attend any of the Just for Laughs festivals.
According to the court transcript, the judge told Black: "You are not
credible, your story is not credible and I don't believe a word that you've
said here today."
BACK TO THAILAND IN DECEMBER 2005
Harris Black returned to
Pattaya, Thailand in December 2005. Being the curious types, the Harris
Black Watch visited Expedia.ca in early
January 2006 to check the cost to fly from Montreal to Bangkok. The cheapest
return flight was $3,002 (Air Canada, one stop). The cheapest one-way flight
was $1,673 (United Airlines, two stops). How does someone who made $3,234 in
2004 afford this kind of travel?
HOW TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAI PROSTITUTES
Ever the humanitarian,
Black has repeatedly posted a tip sheet for westerners who want to use
the services of Thai prostitutes, but would rather not pay them
anything.
HARRIS BLACK APPEARS IN TV AD FOR
RESTAURANT
In a strange turn,
Harris Black appeared in an infomercial for for a Pattaya, Thailand
restaurant in June 2006. You can see the video
here. Black's testimonial starts at 3min 30sec.
"The variety is wonderful!"
ONE YEAR PROBATION OVER
Harris Black's probation on charges of theft ended on September 23, 2006.
The Harris Black Watch has learned that Black may be returning to Canada
soon, now that his probation is over. If you have news or information on
Black, his activities and any alleged scams, contact us immediately.
This "CV
harvesting" technique was the exact one he used in Montreal to get CVs from
unsuspecting people. He would collect CVs from unsuspecting people for bogus jobs.
This is how he found unemployed people. He would then call the
applicant several weeks later -- this time using a different name. He would
invite them to visit his placement service. The victims never understood how he got their contact info, but
they visited his "agency" anyway because they needed a job and
thought he could help.
BLACK TARGETING ASIAN COMMUNITY
Harris Black continued to use many web services to attract job seekers,
including Craiglist and Workopolis. He now claims to have vast experience
serving the Asian community. I wonder if he is counting
this.
Black also boasts a 95% placement record.
(The only record that should be of interest is his criminal record, which
includes a 1999 conviction for Sexual Assault
(art. 271-1-B), and an Indecent Act (art. 173-1), fines from
the Quebec Consumer Protection Office, police charges of theft (2004)
and 34 cases in small claims court.)
Global News BC reports on Black again
Global News in Vancouver reported on Harris Black on June 27,
June 28
and June 29,
2007. They interviewed two women who said Black lied that he was a
physician. Another reported on his job placement antics.
June 28, 2007 Global News report
June 29, 2007 Global News report
Vancouver Courier reports on Black
A week after BC Global News in Vancouver reported on Black for three
evenings, the weekly Courier newspaper reported on him.
The report explains how he used Craigslist to post fake jobs to get CVs
from unsuspecting clients, almost all women.
Harris Black telephone number: 778-869-1972, Address 101246-1184 Denman Street, V
ancouver, BC V6G 2M9
Better Business Bureau and the BC Crime Prevention Association warn people
about Black Harris Black got the attention of the Better Business Bureau and the BC
Crime Prevention Association. The BBB was upset because Black used their
logo on his new website,
Careerexperts.org.
They have also added his company
to their database. This is from their July 26, 2007
press
release:
"It is really unfortunate that
the most vulnerable are being targeted," says BBB president Lynda
Pasacreta. "The owner of this company has a history of criminal
behaviour, and the BBB is concerned about his company’s pattern of
misleading sales practices."
The Harris Black Watch learned
that the Careerexperts.org site is owned by Harris Black (see
here for the whois domain name record). So far the site is just a single
home page with no content. But we have learned that Black intends to use the
online payment service PayPal to collect money from people for services such
as reviewing CV's.
Serial shyster British Columbia's Better Business Bureau and the B.C. Crime
Prevention Association are combining to warn consumers about an
employment scheme that targets the unemployed and recent immigrants.
Harris Black, also known as Harris Kennedy, is posting ads on free
classified services such as CraigsList. The ads, which claim to
offer employment positions, are actually advertisements for a resume
writing service.
Black back in Thailand, using Web for
latest scam Harris Black
left Vancouver and returned to Thailand in August 2007. He launched a
website, CareerExperts.org, where he offers people "a resume that
stands out from the rest" through "help" from "professional resume
writers". He offers three products priced at $30, $50, or $60 and he
accepts payment through PayPal. Here is what was written on the
About Us page:
Your resume is your first impression so make it count!
How would you like to have a powerful resume that will open doors and
get you interviews?
We can help and we deliver results!
CareerExperts can assist you in reformatting your Curriculum Vitae
(resume) within 24 hours or less as we understand the best career
opportunities don’t last long.
Our resume writing service provides you with professional resumes that
get the attention of employers. We position your strengths to match what
employers look for and expect.
Your resume is the first your employer will see. Is it setting you up
for success? Is it standing out from the 100s of others employers have
in front of them?
You deserve a chance at the jobs of your dreams. So take that step
towards securing your dream and optimize your resume with us today!
Complaints from users of the service to PayPal started almost
immediately. Local law enforcement
in the United States has recommended victims of Black's latest scam
contact the
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Internet fraud unit.
Global News BC reports on Black again Global News in Vancouver
reported on Harris Black
in August about his new CareerExperts.org website.
Back in Vancouver? In
December 2007, we were tipped about an employment agency scam operating in
Vancouver byBrian J. Hodgins running a company called “Executive Solutions"
at 701 West Georgia Street, Suite 1501 (e-mail address:
vancouver@execjobhunt.com). According to the
BBB, several
people have complained. It is not clear if Harris Black is involved in this
venture.
New year, same tricks
At the start of 2008, Harris Black uses uses the name Martin Feldman to
recruit job seekers. Here is part of his e-mail that he sends to people:
I received your resume from one of my clients in the hotel industry and
wish to follow-up with you. Are you ready for a career change? My name
is Martin Feldman. I am the CEO of Career Experts (helping people find
great careers in the hidden job market since 1995). I am really
impressed with your rich work experiences and advanced education. I can
tell from your experience that you are very good working with the
public, a "people person" which is exactly what we look for.
He
has also used this text:
Hello, one of my clients sent me your resume and we want to follow-up
with you. Are you ready for a career change? Are you free for interviews
this week? My name is Jennifer Mason. I am the VP of Career Experts
(helping people find top level careers in the "hidden job market" since
1995). I am really impressed with your rich work experiences. I can tell
from your experience that you are very good working with the public, a
"people person" which is exactly what we are looking for.
It
continues like this for a while. He lists jobs and salaries. And he signs
his name Jennifer Mason, VP, careerexperts.org.
Looking for people to help in the scam
In May 2008, Harris tried to recruit people to post job ads for him and
reply to the email responses. He offered them an hourly wage for the
service. Some people likely didn't realize they were now part of the scam.
If you were solicited by Harris Black to work for him, contact us.
Web host enables Black's scam
As of July 2008, IX Web Hosting refuses to terminate Harris Black's
Careerexperts.org website. As such, the Harris Black Watch is advising
people to consult a lawyer regarding a class action law suit against IX Web
Hosting for knowingly assisting a convicted con artist in scamming
job-seekers out of thousands of dollars.
