Platinum Capital Mailers
Complaint 253721 Details

I was checking the classified ads on 'The Express' metro newspaper in Washington DC and caught notice of a small ad for a job that promised to pay at least $700 per week.

Reading such an extravagant promise being made in an advertisement that measured about 2-square inches set off alarm bells in my mind.

The add gave no details on the job description, just that 'no experience was necessary' and it listed a phone number to call for application information (1-888-557-5539). The advertisement didn't even list a company name, just the tempting pay amount and a promise that the pay was guaranteed.

I smelled a scam right away. So I decided to look into it more. At the very least I wanted to check if it was a scam and alert anyone possible about what was going on.

I called the number and was greeted by an answering machine, asking for my name, address, and the statement that a detailed information packet and application would be mailed out. No company name was stated in the recording, as far as I recall.

Several days later, an envelope arrived. In it were the following:

-A return envelope
-A 2-page greeting letter with the job description
-An application payment form (further alarm bells rang when I saw that)

The return envelop bore the address to: 'Platinum Capital' 8635 W. Sahara Avenue #240, Las Vegas, NV 89117

It also had a 'Rush Processing' stamp on it (without any actual postal service stamp to make that anything official. More alarm bells rang, since the printing looked like an attempt to make the envelope appear more official). Postage was not paid, and the applicant was expected to use their own stamp to mail it back (sounds like a small detail, but read on!)

The two page job description was from a William Summers, CFO (I have no idea if this individual is real, or made up). The job it described consisted of the following: The applicant could apply to be a letter stuffer, sealer, and mailer for financial documents on behalf of the Platinum Capital company. You enter to be part of a group that mails a certain number of documents weekly (100, 200, 350, 700, or 1,500). The more letters you sign up to mail each week, the higher your rate of pay ($400, $800, $1,400, $2,800, or $6,000). It essentially breaks down to the offer that you will be paid to mail material at the reward of $4 per letter packet you fold, stuff, and place in the mail box.

Not only that, but the assurance is given that all postage for the letters is prepaid, so workers do not have to pay out of pocket for postage for the hundreds or thousands of packets they are expecting to ship (notice the stark contrast between that and the need to pay for your own application to be sent back. More alarm bells there).

And what was the explanation in the job description letter for why the company was willing to pay such a hefty sum for letter stuffing and mailing? A need for confidentiality? A localization of mailing centers? A diversification of mailing centers? An intricate packing requirement that could only be done by human hands?

No. None of that. The job description letter only says that the financial documents they ship are highly sought after, so the company is very well funded.

That's it. That's the extent of the explanation. That's all. And the letter seems to switch back and forth in its capitalization of the 'L' in 'Letters' when talking about the financial documents. And that sounds like an extremely suspicious load of BS.

And what makes it sound like more of a load of BS?

The need for a 'Database administration and materials fee', which goes up for each bracket you wish to be entered into. You have to pay a sum of money to get started mailing letters and get paid. You send the payment in with the application letter ($85, $135, $195, $599 that was reduced to $250, or $999 that was reduced to $375).

Numbers like that set off every alarm bell for a scam I have in my brain.

The application, aside from the need to send in money, was also dodgy in itself in the information it asked for. Aside from filling out basics, like home address, phone number, etc, it asks for a 6-digit ID code, and adds 'you choose 6-digit code'.

Why would a company that had already been contacted by me and probably a large number of other people from a public advertisement visible to hundreds or thousands of individuals per day ask for those individuals to select their own identification code? That doesn't make a lick of sense.

After I got all the paperwork (no way in hell I was sending any of it back by this point, much less with any of my money) I checked up on things as much as I was able to.

-I googled 'Platinum Capital' and came up with nothing much. The company website consists of a scan of the exact same letter (without the application form). The information is exactly the same.

-I checked the address on Google Maps. I was curious to see what their building looked like from street-view.

There is no building. As near as I can tell, there isn't even a business suite.

There is, however, a 'Mail For You' facility, which offers mailbox rental. Which leads me to think it's where the owner of this business picks up the checks from the people he's ripping off with as little accountability as possible.

This 'business', as near as I can tell, hits every single flag for being a scam. I'd highly recommend it be avoided, or if possible, shut down, and whoever owns it be investigated for fraud.