Spam of the Week: Fake UN Agency Job Advertisement

I got some interesting email this week from the "U.S. Committee for the U.N", an organization that :

1. "supports the work of the United Nations to improve the quality of life for millions of people around the world by promoting democratic governance, poverty reduction, rural development, crisis prevention and recovery, energy and environmental issues, and reducing the impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic"
   
2. offers high-paying jobs in such glamorous locales as the Bahamas, the Solomon Islands, Italy and the United Arab Emirates
   
3. doesn't exist.
   

The job descriptions seem like a cut-and-paste from some other position descriptions at the official UN human resources website, jobs.un.org. And the organization has a plausible enough name, since there is indeed a US Fund for UNICEF, a US Committee for the UN Development Programme , and a United Nations Association of the United States . 

But even a cursory examination reveals some fishiness here.  For one, the contact email is jobs@un-usa.fr.st.  That's ".st" as in Sao Tome, a tiny island country of the Central Africa coast.  There's no website listed for the supposed organization.  The address is listed as "2 UN Plaza" which contains no such organization, although a number of other UN agencies are based there.

The real question is what is the point of this scam?  To get people to send in their CVs?  Do they ask you for an application fee?  I don't know, but I'm going to apply and find out.  I'll report back if I hear from them.

Here's the complete email:

From:   helenprest@universia.net.mx
Subject: Job Openings in UN Committee
Date: April 7, 2006 7:15:41 PM EDT
Reply-To:   jobs@un-usa.fr.st

The U.S. Committee for the U.N  supports the work of the United Nations to improve the quality of life for millions of people around the world by promoting democratic governance, poverty reduction, rural development, crisis prevention and recovery, energy and environmental issues, and reducing the impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

It accomplishes these aims by building a broad-based American constituency that educates for international development and by identifying U.S. resources for specific UN  projects that support U.S. national interests.

Position: Environmental  Officer
Location: Canada and Bahamas
Salary: $169,600.00 USD.
Contract: Full time

They are responsible for development oversight, management, and evaluation of programs in the following areas:bio-diversity, conservation, forestry, wildlife management, water and coastal
resources management, environmental education, environmental policy, environmentally sustainable agriculture, community based natural resources management, urban and industrial pollution
reduction, urban planning and management (including such areas as housing, water and sanitation), urban and housing finance, energy efficiency and conservation, renewable energy applications, clean energy technologies, energy sector planning and  global climate  change.

Environment Officers apply both a technical knowledge of their program area and a variety of management and program evaluation knowledge in order to  ensure that projects meet the needs of UN-USA 's partners and customers in a cost-effective manner.

B. Financial Management Officer
     Locaton: France, Italy and Switzerland
     Salary:$172,678.00 USD
     Duration: Full time

They direct the accounting and payment operations worldwide. In addition, they provide significant , levels of advisory services to all levels of the mission and host country governments. This includes administrative, operational and  program matters concerning financial, budgetary and resource management and implementation issues.

C. Program/Project Development Officer
     Location:Netherlands, United Kingdom
     Salary:$182  ,000.00 USD
     Duration: Full time

They are responsible for strategy development, policy formulation, performance reporting,project management, and public outreach. They are looked upon to ensure  that the Mission's operational procedures are designed to elicit  teamwork, emphasize shared values, make known programming priorities, and reward innovation. Program/Project development officers  must be  able to apply leadership and management skills in order to ensure that program activities are designed and implemented to achieve  stated objectives, within resource constraints and in a timely manner.

D.Population/Health/Nutrition Officers
  Salary:$142,678.00 USD
Location: Solomon Island and Japan

Responsible for development, oversight, management (staff, financial, and technical resources), and evaluation of PHN programs that may include any or all of the following areas: primary health care
(including immunizations, acute respiratory infections, diarrheal diseases), maternal/child health (including safe motherhood), population/family planning (reproductive health). HIV/AIDS, sexually
transmitted diseases, infectious diseases (including malaria, TB, antimicrobial resistance, surveillance), nutrition/micronutrients, water and sanitation, environmental health, social marketing, demography, population, health or nutrition policy, operations research in population, health or nutrition, biomedical/clinical research  (including vaccines, antimicrobial resistance, malaria, TB, neonatal, contraceptive technology), epidemiology, logistics management, national pharmaceutical management and health
economics.Population/Health/Nutrition Officers apply both a technical knowledge of their program area and a variety of management and program evaluation expertise in order to ensure that projects meet
the needs of UN-USA's partners and customers in a cost-effective manner.

E.Executive Officers
Salary:$175,678.00 USD
Location:South Africa,U.A.E

Oversee a wide range of administrative and logistical support functions including personnel management, contracting, procurement, property management, motor pool management, travel management, employee/family housing and maintenance management. In addition to having direct
responsibility for providing the daily support of the agency's field mission, duties include planning for future personnel and procurement requirements at the assigned duty station.

F. Education Development Officers
Salary:$149,678.00 USD
Location:Cayman Island and Comoros

Analyze, advise, and assist with the development of host country education human resources and manpower planning systems. Strategies are designed to improve existing education programs as well as to promote organizational competencies and skills acquisition related to both individual
and institutional development. Duties include participation in Agency policy formulation, sector analysis, program and project design,  program monitoring, and evaluation of activities in education and human
resources.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS/SELECTION
Applicants are selected on the basis of academic credentials,  experience and other relevant factors. Successful Applicants are invited to come to Washington, for an interview/ Training.  Candidates are interviewed  on their related knowledge, skills and abilities. Application is open to all interested  applicants from any nationality.

RETIREMENT AND ANNUITIES
New Entrants employed with UN-USA may retire voluntarily after 20 Years of service. Retirement is mandatory at age 65. The maximum period   of Creditable service is 35 years.

HOW TO APPLY
Please send your resume/CV  to:   jobs@un-usa.fr.st OR Fax:1206-984-3618

Dr. David  Cameron
Recruitment Officer
U.S. Committee for UN
Two UN Plaza, 24th Floor
New York, NY 10017