Prior to the government-mandated shutdown due to the COVID pandemic, work-from-home (WFH) opportunities were very scarce. Once the shutdown occurred, businesses had to quickly pivot to remain viable. As a result, remote work today is an accepted norm. This “new” level of consciousness and acceptance of remote work in more fields, like many other societal changes, has provided an opportunity for some people to put a new spin on an old tactic: the job scam.
As the job market becomes increasingly digital, the methods employed by scammers have become increasingly digital. Text messages have emerged as a popular avenue for their fraudulent activities, catching many unsuspecting job seekers off guard. The prospect of easy money, flexible hours, and high pay for minimal work can seem very attractive, often masking the true nature of these scams.
Scammers are creative in their approaches, constantly evolving their tactics. If you are in the job market or know someone who is, knowing how to spot a job scam can make the difference between being employed or victimized. Here are some common types of online job scams to watch out for:
Fake Job Offer Scam: This scam begins with an unsolicited text message offering a job opportunity with an attractive salary and benefits. The scammer poses as a recruiter or employer, claiming to have found your resume online or through a mutual connection. To secure the job, victims are asked to pay upfront fees for training, background checks, or equipment. Once payment is made, the “employer” disappears, leaving them out of pocket.
Check Deposit Scam: Here the victim receives a check as part of their “employment” to buy supplies or equipment. They are instructed to deposit the check and wire a portion of the funds to a third party or back to the “employer.” Later, the check bounces, and the victim is left responsible for the full amount, often facing financial consequences.
Package Reshipment Scam: In this scam, victims are hired to receive, repackage, and forward goods, often stolen or purchased with stolen credit card information. The victim unknowingly becomes involved in illegal activities and may face legal consequences when authorities investigate.
Money Mule Scam: This scam involves recruiting victims to transfer funds between accounts or send money overseas as part of their “job.” These funds are often linked to criminal activities, such as money laundering, making the victim an unwitting accomplice in illegal transactions.
There are other types of job scams such as mystery shopper, data entry, and fake job interview scams, with the main purpose being to steal your money, your data, or make you an unwitting participant in illegal activity. Protecting yourself from these and other scams requires vigilance and awareness so here are some red flags to look for as you conduct your job search and/or receive messages about job opportunities:
- Unsolicited Contact: If you receive a job offer via text message from someone you’ve never interacted with, be cautious. Legitimate employers rarely reach out this way without prior contact.
- Too Good to Be True: Job offers with high pay, minimal work, and instant hiring without an interview process are often scams. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
- Requests for Upfront Payments: Legitimate employers will never ask for money to cover training, equipment, or background checks. Any request for payment is a major red flag.
- Poor Grammar and Spelling: Scammers often use messages with grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, or awkward phrasing. Reputable companies take care to communicate professionally.
- Pressure to Act Quickly: Scammers create a sense of urgency, insisting that you respond immediately or risk losing the job. This tactic is designed to prevent you from thinking carefully or researching the opportunity.
- Requests for Personal Information: Be wary of employers who ask for sensitive information, such as your Social Security number, banking details, or home address, early in the hiring process.
If you encounter a job scam or fall victim to one, the best thing to do is to report it to help prevent others from being victimized. If you have lost money, you should consider filing a police report with your local law enforcement agency. You also can report the scam to the Better Business Bureau via their website, https://www.bbb.org/ScamTracker. It’s also a good idea to report the scam to federal agencies via the FTC (https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/ ) website and/or the Internet Crime Complaint Center (https://www.ic3.gov/) operated by the FBI. For text message scams, forward the message to 7726 (SPAM) which will allow your wireless provider to spot and block similar messages in the future.
Courtesy, Karen Clay