Secret photographer job?

Naturenut · 01-20-2011, 10:09 AM

I keep seeing these jobs posted on various newspaper web sites. Just for sh*ts and giggles I sent an inquiry but am awaiting a response. In the interim, does anyone know what the heck this is all about?

SmartPay Secret Photographer is hiring photographers now. The nature of this job only requires you to secretly take photos & send in reports/pictures of any homes, cars, commercial property, businesses, trucks, RVs, boats, or pictures of events, in your
area and get paid.

If you have a camera then you are qualified. For more information contact us now.
Salary/Wage: $250
Status: Full-time, Part-time

sameagle · 01-20-2011, 12:12 PM

Originally posted by Naturenut

I keep seeing these jobs posted on various newspaper web sites. Just for sh*ts and giggles I sent an inquiry but am awaiting a response. In the interim, does anyone know what the heck this is all about?

SmartPay Secret Photographer is hiring photographers now. The nature of this job only requires you to secretly take photos & send in reports/pictures of any homes, cars, commercial property, businesses, trucks, RVs, boats, or pictures of events, in your
area and get paid.

If you have a camera then you are qualified. For more information contact us now.
Salary/Wage: $250
Status: Full-time, Part-time

It is a Homeland Security gig asking you to snitch on your friends and neighbors, just like the former East German Stasi.

But, hey, it's a way to make a buck so go for it.

- Sam

PS - Let us know what you find! It sounds too fun/good to be true.

markdesmarais · 01-20-2011, 12:51 PM

bet it is repo business.

Ira · 01-20-2011, 01:37 PM

Originally posted by markdesmarais

bet it is repo business.

Give the man a cigar.

Nowhere Matt · 01-20-2011, 02:05 PM

That is well beyond suspicious to me. Very strange.
Your first submissions of photos should be of police vehicles, police stations, security guards, military police at their post, a couple tough guys staring at you, some gangstahs rolling in their 5.0, a bunch of Hell's Angels. Then ask for your $250.

magkelly · 01-20-2011, 02:21 PM

It's a con. I've seen something similar to this before. You have to sign up to take their seminar and then they give you a list of people to send your photos to that supposedly pay for this service. It's total BS.

**Ex Finn.** · 01-21-2011, 05:22 PM

Originally posted by markdesmarais

bet it is repo business.

+1
Repo came to mind. They are looking for "bullet catchers"

.

DeadJohn · 01-21-2011, 06:44 PM

I think it's similar to work-from-home scams. "We will pay you a gobs of cash to work for us. All you need to do first is [buy the starter kit / pay to take this qualification exam / attend this mandatory training class]."

Maybe I'm wrong but don't take the bait if they ask for money. Also be careful of ID theft scams where they have you fill out an online job application.

Naturenut · 01-24-2011, 06:48 AM

Here's the email response I got, verbatim:

Dear Applicant,
Thank you for your interest. You will earn $250 per hour for photos taken and submitted to our organization. You are to take clear shot of any event, homes, cars, commercial property, businesses, trucks, RVs, or boats of your choice within your area with your Camera (At least with 2.0 Pixel Camera), upload and send the photos to us via email. NO special training or start up fees is required

GUIDELINE FOR SMARTPAY SECRET PHOTOGRAPHER:-
* You must have a camera ( at least a 2.0 pixel camera)
* Must be at least 18years old
* Take good and clear photos shots
* Freelance Photography experience helpful but not necessary
* Your comments and impressions.

These details are required; Your FULL NAME, CONTACT ADDRESS including PHONE NUMBER, and AGE/SEX, this details are essential so that your funds and employment packet Needed for the assignment will be mailed to you to carry out your first assignment. All details received are safe and secured.

Yours Sincerely,
Tina Hanna
Copyright© 2010, SmartPay Secret Photographer®.
Delivering achievable secret Photographic management satisfaction

Naturenut · 01-24-2011, 06:50 AM

Originally posted by Nowhere Matt

That is well beyond suspicious to me. Very strange.
Your first submissions of photos should be of police vehicles, police stations, security guards, military police at their post, a couple tough guys staring at you, some gangstahs rolling in their 5.0, a bunch of Hell's Angels. Then ask for your $250.

lol Good idea Matt. Yeah it all seems a little too cloak and dagger for my taste. Their email response was just as vague as their initial ad. I'll most definitely not be pursuing this any further!

DeadJohn · 01-24-2011, 09:22 AM

It's looking more and more like some sort of scam. I can't quite tell what their angle is yet.

Web searches for "SmartPay Secret Photographer" return dozens of hits but they are all for job ads. I can't find any company web site, though. A legit company that conducts much of their business via email should have a web site that can be found by searches.

The $250/hour promise has me 100% convinced this is a scam or some other shady business. The repo business isn't so lucrative to burn cash like that. Given the inattention to detail in the emailed letter ("2.0 Pixel Camera"), maybe the "$250 per hr" is really $2.50?

They already asked for your name, address, phone, age. After you provide that, they might ask you to take some random photo and request your bank account # so they can wire payment. Then they can start stealing money.

raz-0 · 01-24-2011, 09:44 AM

Originally posted by DeadJohn

The $250/hour promise has me 100% convinced this is a scam or some other shady business. The repo business isn't so lucrative to burn cash like that. Given the inattention to detail in the emailed letter ("2.0 Pixel Camera"), maybe the "$250 per hr" is really $2.50?

Now now, lets assume a shutter speed averaging 1/250 of a second. By the time you spent an hour "taking" pictures, you have snapped about 900,000 images. So...

JACOBY · 01-24-2011, 12:01 PM

I've done this before it's repo work lots of travel and you have to wait for the clowns to do all of their paper work before you get paid.

SpecialK · 01-24-2011, 01:02 PM

Originally posted by Naturenut

Here's the email response I got, verbatim:

Dear Applicant,
Thank you for your interest. You will earn $250 per hour for photos taken and submitted to our organization. You are to take clear shot of any event, homes, cars, commercial property, businesses, trucks, RVs, or boats of your choice within your area with your Camera (At least with 2.0 Pixel Camera), upload and send the photos to us via email. NO special training or start up fees is required

GUIDELINE FOR SMARTPAY SECRET PHOTOGRAPHER:-
* You must have a camera ( at least a 2.0 pixel camera)
* Must be at least 18years old
* Take good and clear photos shots
* Freelance Photography experience helpful but not necessary
* Your comments and impressions.

These details are required; Your FULL NAME, CONTACT ADDRESS including PHONE NUMBER, and AGE/SEX, this details are essential so that your funds and employment packet Needed for the assignment will be mailed to you to carry out your first assignment. All details received are safe and secured.

Yours Sincerely,
Tina Hanna
Copyright© 2010, SmartPay Secret Photographer®.
Delivering achievable secret Photographic management satisfaction

Hourly wage is not "salary".
Asking for age and sex is illegal for hiring, at least in the USA.
My camera has a few more than 2 pixels...am I disqualified?

RayGunn · 01-24-2011, 01:53 PM

Most likely, anyone displaying a modicum of intelligence will be disqualified, LOL>.
RayGunn

01-20-2011, 10:09 AM	#1
Naturenut Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: northeast USA Posts: 273	Secret photographer job? I keep seeing these jobs posted on various newspaper web sites. Just for sh*ts and giggles I sent an inquiry but am awaiting a response. In the interim, does anyone know what the heck this is all about? SmartPay Secret Photographer is hiring photographers now. The nature of this job only requires you to secretly take photos & send in reports/pictures of any homes, cars, commercial property, businesses, trucks, RVs, boats, or pictures of events, in your area and get paid. If you have a camera then you are qualified. For more information contact us now. Salary/Wage: $250 Status: Full-time, Part-time

01-21-2011, 05:22 PM	#7
Ex Finn. Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Southern Maryland. Espoo. Kouvola. Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 7,975	Originally posted by markdesmarais bet it is repo business. +1 Repo came to mind. They are looking for "bullet catchers".

01-24-2011, 01:53 PM	#15
RayGunn Inactive Account Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Northern Nevada Posts: 198	Yes, you are disqualified... Most likely, anyone displaying a modicum of intelligence will be disqualified, LOL>. RayGunn

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01-20-2011, 12:12 PM	#2
sameagle Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Boston, MA Photos: Gallery Posts: 323	Originally posted by Naturenut I keep seeing these jobs posted on various newspaper web sites. Just for sh*ts and giggles I sent an inquiry but am awaiting a response. In the interim, does anyone know what the heck this is all about? SmartPay Secret Photographer is hiring photographers now. The nature of this job only requires you to secretly take photos & send in reports/pictures of any homes, cars, commercial property, businesses, trucks, RVs, boats, or pictures of events, in your area and get paid. If you have a camera then you are qualified. For more information contact us now. Salary/Wage: $250 Status: Full-time, Part-time It is a Homeland Security gig asking you to snitch on your friends and neighbors, just like the former East German Stasi. But, hey, it's a way to make a buck so go for it. - Sam PS - Let us know what you find! It sounds too fun/good to be true.

01-20-2011, 12:51 PM	#3
markdesmarais Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Massachusetts Photos: Gallery Posts: 186	bet it is repo business.

01-20-2011, 01:37 PM	#4
Ira Inactive Account Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Coral Springs, FL Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,216	Originally posted by markdesmarais bet it is repo business. Give the man a cigar.

01-20-2011, 02:05 PM	#5
Nowhere Matt Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Nowhere Land Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,362	That is well beyond suspicious to me. Very strange. Your first submissions of photos should be of police vehicles, police stations, security guards, military police at their post, a couple tough guys staring at you, some gangstahs rolling in their 5.0, a bunch of Hell's Angels. Then ask for your $250.

01-20-2011, 02:21 PM	#6
magkelly Veteran Member Join Date: May 2010 Photos: Gallery Posts: 5,901	It's a con. I've seen something similar to this before. You have to sign up to take their seminar and then they give you a list of people to send your photos to that supposedly pay for this service. It's total BS.

01-21-2011, 06:44 PM	#8
DeadJohn Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: New York Posts: 4,834	I think it's similar to work-from-home scams. "We will pay you a gobs of cash to work for us. All you need to do first is [buy the starter kit / pay to take this qualification exam / attend this mandatory training class]." Maybe I'm wrong but don't take the bait if they ask for money. Also be careful of ID theft scams where they have you fill out an online job application.

01-24-2011, 06:48 AM	#9
Naturenut Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: northeast USA Posts: 273 Original Poster	Here's the email response I got, verbatim: Dear Applicant, Thank you for your interest. You will earn $250 per hour for photos taken and submitted to our organization. You are to take clear shot of any event, homes, cars, commercial property, businesses, trucks, RVs, or boats of your choice within your area with your Camera (At least with 2.0 Pixel Camera), upload and send the photos to us via email. NO special training or start up fees is required GUIDELINE FOR SMARTPAY SECRET PHOTOGRAPHER:- * You must have a camera ( at least a 2.0 pixel camera) * Must be at least 18years old * Take good and clear photos shots * Freelance Photography experience helpful but not necessary * Your comments and impressions. These details are required; Your FULL NAME, CONTACT ADDRESS including PHONE NUMBER, and AGE/SEX, this details are essential so that your funds and employment packet Needed for the assignment will be mailed to you to carry out your first assignment. All details received are safe and secured. Yours Sincerely, Tina Hanna Copyright© 2010, SmartPay Secret Photographer®. Delivering achievable secret Photographic management satisfaction

01-24-2011, 06:50 AM	#10
Naturenut Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: northeast USA Posts: 273 Original Poster	Originally posted by Nowhere Matt That is well beyond suspicious to me. Very strange. Your first submissions of photos should be of police vehicles, police stations, security guards, military police at their post, a couple tough guys staring at you, some gangstahs rolling in their 5.0, a bunch of Hell's Angels. Then ask for your $250. lol Good idea Matt. Yeah it all seems a little too cloak and dagger for my taste. Their email response was just as vague as their initial ad. I'll most definitely not be pursuing this any further!

01-24-2011, 09:22 AM	#11
DeadJohn Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: New York Posts: 4,834	It's looking more and more like some sort of scam. I can't quite tell what their angle is yet. Web searches for "SmartPay Secret Photographer" return dozens of hits but they are all for job ads. I can't find any company web site, though. A legit company that conducts much of their business via email should have a web site that can be found by searches. The $250/hour promise has me 100% convinced this is a scam or some other shady business. The repo business isn't so lucrative to burn cash like that. Given the inattention to detail in the emailed letter ("2.0 Pixel Camera"), maybe the "$250 per hr" is really $2.50? They already asked for your name, address, phone, age. After you provide that, they might ask you to take some random photo and request your bank account # so they can wire payment. Then they can start stealing money.

01-24-2011, 09:44 AM	#12
raz-0 Veteran Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Central NJ Posts: 470	Originally posted by DeadJohn The $250/hour promise has me 100% convinced this is a scam or some other shady business. The repo business isn't so lucrative to burn cash like that. Given the inattention to detail in the emailed letter ("2.0 Pixel Camera"), maybe the "$250 per hr" is really $2.50? Now now, lets assume a shutter speed averaging 1/250 of a second. By the time you spent an hour "taking" pictures, you have snapped about 900,000 images. So...

01-24-2011, 12:01 PM	#13
JACOBY Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: PGH PENNA Posts: 340	I've done this before it's repo work lots of travel and you have to wait for the clowns to do all of their paper work before you get paid.

01-24-2011, 01:02 PM	#14
SpecialK Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: So California Photos: Gallery Posts: 16,481	Originally posted by Naturenut Here's the email response I got, verbatim: Dear Applicant, Thank you for your interest. You will earn $250 per hour for photos taken and submitted to our organization. You are to take clear shot of any event, homes, cars, commercial property, businesses, trucks, RVs, or boats of your choice within your area with your Camera (At least with 2.0 Pixel Camera), upload and send the photos to us via email. NO special training or start up fees is required GUIDELINE FOR SMARTPAY SECRET PHOTOGRAPHER:- * You must have a camera ( at least a 2.0 pixel camera) * Must be at least 18years old * Take good and clear photos shots * Freelance Photography experience helpful but not necessary * Your comments and impressions. These details are required; Your FULL NAME, CONTACT ADDRESS including PHONE NUMBER, and AGE/SEX, this details are essential so that your funds and employment packet Needed for the assignment will be mailed to you to carry out your first assignment. All details received are safe and secured. Yours Sincerely, Tina Hanna Copyright© 2010, SmartPay Secret Photographer®. Delivering achievable secret Photographic management satisfaction Hourly wage is not "salary". Asking for age and sex is illegal for hiring, at least in the USA. My camera has a few more than 2 pixels...am I disqualified?