FlyerJosh

So a few folks that I know have been receiving emails from a supposed startup company called CQAir out of Allentown, PA.

A few of us have done some digging into this company and the request for applications that have been put out. The more and more we dig, the more and more it looks like it might be a scheme to obtain personal information.

So far here's what we've come up with...

The company's website: www.cqair.com is operational only parttime (sometimes it's up and other's it's not), however the "recruiting" department continues to send out emails with updates on the company's progress on getting ops running. These email include requests for applications which contain personal information (Name, SSN, employment history, addresses, etc).

The cached files for the company's website reveal a very basic, almost amateur website. Furthermore, the website includes google ad banners at the bottom. I have never seen an "official" corporate website that advertises services other than it's own or it's affiliates. And certainly not one that uses something like a google "banner".

A search of the whois registration database for the website lists a "privacy" service which hides the true owner of the website. No other airline that I could find hides this information. Phone numbers associated with the website lead back to a phone number in New Jersey.

A traceback of the routing and IP address leads to a Linksys router with remote administration. Once again, it seems odd that a company (regardless of how small, but particularly an airline) would be hosting their site through a $100 Walmart router.

The phone numbers: 610-258-5195 and 908-479-9894 are both unlisted-interesting way to run a business... The address leads back to a building for sale in PA with lots of other tenants- including "Pak Mail", which could be a front for a mail forward service? Other tenants include a tanning place, a hair salon, State Farm insurance, and a hot wing restaurant to name a few...

Overall, there's just something fishy about the whole thing. You might want to consider further researching this company or waiting until they get a certificate before submitting an application with your life story on it. Identity theft really sucks...

rickair7777

We seem to be selling advertising space on tray tables now...

JRiggle

Compare CQAir's first officer job page to Pinnacles. The wording is exactly the same. They just took Pinnacle off it and put in CQAir.

freezingflyboy

Having just filled out the Pinnacle paperwork, the "CQAir" looks suspiciously similar. It literally looks like someone went through and just cut-and-pasted where ever it said Pinnacle and put CQAir. I think this one is BS. Good scam though, a lot of desperate pilots out there. Maybe they'll steal the indentity of some Gulfstream, DCA or ERAU pilot and realize what a mistake it was when they see how much debt they have or crack into the bank account and see $12 in it

Flying Ninja

A little technical data on CQAir.com:

Registrant:
Domains by Proxy, Inc.

DomainsByProxy.com
15111 N. Hayden Rd., Ste 160, PMB 353
Scottsdale, Arizona 85260
United States

Registered through: GoDaddy.com (http://www.godaddy.com)
Domain Name: CQAIR.COM
Created on: 02-Oct-05
Expires on: 02-Oct-06
Last Updated on: 05-Jan-06

Administrative Contact:
Private, Registration [email protected]
Domains by Proxy, Inc.
DomainsByProxy.com
15111 N. Hayden Rd., Ste 160, PMB 353
Scottsdale, Arizona 85260
United States
(480) 624-2599

Technical Contact:
Private, Registration [email protected]
Domains by Proxy, Inc.
DomainsByProxy.com
15111 N. Hayden Rd., Ste 160, PMB 353
Scottsdale, Arizona 85260
United States
(480) 624-2599

Compare that to the technical return on jetBlue:

Registrant:
Jetblue Airways Corp.
118-29 Queens Blvd
New York City, NY 11375
US

Domain Name: JETBLUE.COM

Administrative Contact:
Mitsching, Tony [email protected]
jetBlue Airways
118-29 Queens Blvd.
Forest Hills, NY 11375
US
718.709.7900

Technical Contact:
Perreault, Peter [email protected]
118-29 Queens Blvd.
Forest Hills, NY 11375
US
718.709.7900

Record expires on 30-Jun-2009.
Record created on 30-Jun-1999.
Database last updated on 26-Feb-2006 14:05:02 EST.

Conclusion: I'd be wary of CQAir myself. Having worked in the IT industry, there's no real reason to hide registrar and registration information. I gone through the web site and found it to be odd that the site is mostly under construction with very little detail about their business, contact information, etc. The site's content has nothing but "coming soon" and "it's a secret for now" crap. The Google ads makes me think it's a fake company or a front. The web site was designed using FrontPage with a standard templating scheme, which can be accomplished in less than an hour. The domain was registered for 1 year only vs. jetBlue who registered for 10 years. CQAir obviously have no confidence of their future existence. They did go through the trouble of creating PDF documents, however. The mailing address shares the same address as a chinese restaurant called China King. The area around that address appear to be a developing residential zone to the south and east of the address center. There's a shopping area to the south of that address. I'd stay off the site for now until they throw some press releases on wire service. Then we can investigate it more.

rickair7777

Anybody in PHX want to call the DA's office and report these guys? I think they really are running a scam.

FlyerJosh

I would suggest that anybody that has concerns about this company being a false front for identity theft or fraud, file a complaint with the FBI.

http://www.ic3.gov

I for one am more that slightly concerned that this could be a possible front to gather personal information, but even more concerned that that information could easily be used to falsify documents and certifications within the aviation/airline industry. Like it or not, this day and age we have to always have some suspicion to prevent another terrorist attack.

The more of us that submit concerns, the more likely it will be acted upon.

Flying Ninja

Great follow up! Thanks for the update. I hope we discover if they're for real or going to prison for real.