Date Posted: 
Friday, August 16, 2024

Alert number: CA058139_8/24

The Washington State Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) has received a complaint from a Washington consumer against semushw91.com. The consumer reported that semushw91.com reached out to the consumer through text messages asking if the consumer was interested in an online job. Once the consumer accepted the position, semushw91.com employees taught the consumer how semushw91.com’s data entry platform works. The consumer reported that their wages were paid in cryptocurrency and to continue working, they had to maintain a certain amount of cryptocurrency in their account with semushw91.com.

The consumer reported that when they received large data entry orders, their account with semushw91.com would become negative, and the consumer had to add more cryptocurrency to their account. When the consumer was late making one of the data entry deadlines, they were told to pay semushw91.com to extend the deadline. After being granted the extension, the consumer attempted to withdraw their funds from semushw91.com but was blocked. The consumer reported that they had to pay to fix their credit score on semushw91.com’s site before the consumer could withdraw the funds. When the consumer attempted to pay to fix the credit score, semushw91.com claimed the consumer’s payment froze a merchant’s account and now the consumer had to pay entire value of their account with semushw91.com to semushw91.com. The consumer was unable to withdraw any of their funds with semushw91.com.

The scammer reportedly provided the following information to the consumer:

Website: semushw91.com

Phone Numbers:
289*708*7256
567*226*8451
205*624*0643

It appears that this consumer may have been a victim of a money transmission scam or a pig butchering scam.

semushw91.com is not licensed by the DFI and is not registered to conduct business in Washington State by the Department of Licensing, the Department of Revenue, or the Secretary of State.  

Important Information for Washington Consumers

The Washington State Department of Financial Institutions warns Washington consumers not to send money to someone they do not know or trust if the circumstances are unusual and the person requests money in advance or because of a claimed emergency.  Once money has been sent by a money transmitter and it is received by the person to whom the consumer instructed it be sent, the money cannot usually be returned.  Consumers should:

  • Not send money to someone that they have not met in person.
  • Stay informed about current scams involving money transfers.  (See below.)
  • Never send money to someone that has provided the consumer with a payment by check and is asking the consumer to then send money back to them.
  • Make sure that the company or person that they are sending to is legitimate.
  • Contact the money transmitter immediately if the consumer believes that they have been scammed.
  • When sending money, verify that the money transmitter is licensed.  Consumers can use the “Verify a License” feature on DFI’s website at www.dfi.wa.gov to make sure that a money transmitter is licensed to conduct business in the state of Washington.
  • Not provide any personal information, such as social security number or bank account number or access if the company is not licensed or authorized to conduct business.

Important Information for All Consumers

  • If you feel you have been the victim of a scam you can contact the FTC at 1-877-FTC-HELP (382-4357) or online at www.ftc.gov; or the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) at 1-855-411-CFPB (2372) or online at www.consumerfinance.gov. 
  • If the scammers already have your bank account information, social security number, or other personal information, you may be a victim of identity theft.  You can contact your bank and the three major credit bureaus to take appropriate precautions. The FTC has information for victims of identity theft online at www.ftc.gov.
  • If you feel you have been the victim of a scam involving the internet you can contact the Internet Crime Complaint Center online at www.ic3.gov.
  • If you feel you have been the victim of a financial scam and are concerned about your personal financial information, you can contact your banking institution and the three major credit bureaus. Procedures for contacting the credit bureaus are available on the FTC’s website at www.ftc.gov.
  • Keep informed about common scams.  Visit www.consumer.ftc.gov and click on “Scam Alerts” for information about recent scams.
  • If you live in another state, go to this webpage to find the regulator in your home state.