SCAM ALERT: EndPoint Petroleum Corporation, P&Z Petroleum
Author: Benjamin Goldstein
This blog post is to alert the public, targeted individuals, and relevant authorities about a scam being perpetrated under the guise of a fictitious company called “EndPoint Petroleum Corporation”. The scammers have set up a website for this fake company, copying much of the content from Noble Energy. The scammers have adapted an old version of our logo for their nefarious purposes.
We will refrain from posting the URL for the scammers’ website since we don’t want to increase its SEO ranking, but it is shown in the image capture above. At first glance this website looks legitimate, but closer observation provides abundant evidence to the contrary. Rather than posting a list of its defects which would assist the scammers, I urge the interested reader to spend five minutes on the website.
An email forwarded to us from one of their targets provides an example of how the scammers are trying to use their website. They are targeting people outside the US with experience in the Oil and Gas Industry, telling them that they have been “shortlisted” for an Operations Manager position with the bogus company. The scammers then tell their targets to contact their “required travel agency” to make arrangements for a trip to the United States for an in-person interview.
We know that the scammers are using LinkedIn to contact their targets. They may also be contacting potential targets via other means as well. And it stands to reason that they may have posted their fake job offer on one or more job boards.
Trying to Take This Down
We have contacted and followed up with various authorities and organizations about this scam. We are going to continue our efforts in this regard. We welcome any assistance or advice that anyone can offer that would help with this. Please use our contact form to contact us.
Sample Scam Letters and Job Description
Below are several attachments that have been forwarded to us by one of their intended victims:
December 2019 Update: P&Z Petroleum
Several potential victims have informed us that the scammers have begun using another name, P&Z Petroleum or PZ Petroleum, signing letters with:
Mr. Gary Mason
Human Resource Manager
3422 San Felipe Street
Houston, TX 77056-2723
United States
hr.department@pzpetroleum.com
Contact Person: Mr. Kris Clark
STAR TRAVELS AGENCY
2400 Augusta Dr
Houston, TX 77057, USA
Phone Number: +1 832-861-1505
Email: kris.clark@startravelsagency.com
They are also trying to lure medical doctors and nurses, in addition to various management and engineering roles.
If they have contacted you, run away and report them to the authorities!
Report a Scam!
Have you fallen for a hoax, bought a fake product? Report the site and warn others!
Scam Categories
Help & Info
Popular Stories
As the influence of the internet rises, so does the prevalence of online scams. There are fraudsters making all kinds of claims to trap victims online - from fake investment opportunities to online stores - and the internet allows them to operate from any part of the world with anonymity. The ability to spot online scams is an important skill to have as the virtual world is increasingly becoming a part of every facet of our lives. The below tips will help you identify the signs which can indicate that a website could be a scam. Common Sense: Too Good To Be True When looking for goods online, a great deal can be very enticing. A Gucci bag or a new iPhone for half the price? Who wouldn’t want to grab such a deal? Scammers know this too and try to take advantage of the fact. If an online deal looks too good to be true, think twice and double-check things. The easiest way to do this is to simply check out the same product at competing websites (that you trust). If the difference in prices is huge, it might be better to double-check the rest of the website. Check Out the Social Media Links Social media is a core part of ecommerce businesses these days and consumers often expect online shops to have a social media presence. Scammers know this and often insert logos of social media sites on their websites. Scratching beneath the surface often reveals this fu
So the worst has come to pass - you realise you parted with your money too fast, and the site you used was a scam - what now? Well first of all, don’t despair!! If you think you have been scammed, the first port of call when having an issue is to simply ask for a refund. This is the first and easiest step to determine whether you are dealing with a genuine company or scammers. Sadly, getting your money back from a scammer is not as simple as just asking. If you are indeed dealing with scammers, the procedure (and chance) of getting your money back varies depending on the payment method you used. PayPal Debit card/Credit card Bank transfer Wire transfer Google Pay Bitcoin PayPal If you used PayPal, you have a strong chance of getting your money back if you were scammed. On their website, you can file a dispute within 180 calendar days of your purchase. Conditions to file a dispute: The simplest situation is that you ordered from an online store and it has not arrived. In this case this is what PayPal states: "If your order never shows up and the seller can't provide proof of shipment or delivery, you'll get a full refund. It's that simple." The scammer has sent you a completely different item. For example, you ordered a PlayStation 4, but instead received only a Playstation controller. The condition of the item was misrepresented on the product page. This could be the
