Consumer Alert
Influencers: Spot a job scam
Maybe you — or even your pet — are an influencer. But did you know that scammers might target you with phony job opportunities? You might get a message on social media, supposedly from a recruiter or “brand ambassador manager” of a national company. They say they’ll send you free products and pay you big bucks to promote and tag their stuff on social media. All you need to do, they say, is give them your banking information so they can pay you. But this isn’t a job opportunity. It’s a scam, and here’s how to avoid it.
- Research the offer before doing anything. Look up the name of the company plus words like “scam,” “review,” or “complaint.” Contact the company directly to confirm the offer. But use information you know is real — not what the so-called recruiter gave you. If you can’t confirm the offer is real, walk away.
- Never give out your personal or financial information to anyone who contacts you unexpectedly. And no honest potential employer will ever send you a check to deposit and then tell you to send on part of the money, or buy gift cards with it and send them the card numbers. The check will bounce, and the bank will want you to repay that money.
- Spot the red flags. Do they want you to sign up fast — before you can ask any questions? Is your “recruiter” using a personal account, email, or number not affiliated with the company they say they’re with? Did they ask you to send money or pay for something? Those are signs of a job scam. And no matter how compelling the story, if someone insists that you can only pay with a gift card, cryptocurrency, a payment app, or a wire transfer service like Western Union or MoneyGram, don’t do it. It’s a scam.
Report job scams at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
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I just ran int a scammer that offered me a job. I did recognize it due m training as a cybersecurity expert butthey were good. It sound great they want to to translate emails and texts into standard business format. First red flag was it was a foreign company and not URL. When you "get the job" they ask you to set up an account that can scan checks on your phone. 2nd red flag. and finally they send u a check for just under your daily limit for cashing these kind of checks and send you more that you would get in advance. Then ask you to deposit the balance in their bitcoin account. That was a big fat red flag. I reported with all the evidence I gathered. If it happens to you, do not cash the check, notify the bank or credit Union. DO NOT SEND MONEY.
It’s always disheartening to read about these financial scams that victimize so many honest, hard-working and trusting Americans. I was fortunate in that I think I was born with a natural skeptical attitude that has been long nurtured through education and work. I think we really need to do a better job of training young people to be more financially astute and alert to these nefarious schemes. Adding sone simple financial management training at the high school level should help develop young people’s financial acumen and make them less likely to fall victim to these scams.
The article was interesting good to read things over and over so you can remember and keep yourself safe
I am looking for a job right now. They send emails stating that they have a data entry position paying good money and want you to meet with them on Teams or by text. They have asked me to sign a contract before I even talk to them on the phone. This really sucks for people like me because I am in desperate need of a job.
In reply to I am looking for a job right… by Amanda Fowler
Hi Amanda,
It is safer to go through an agency and in my experience, the hiring firm pays the agency’s fee.
Many agency’s have temporary positions as well as permanent ones available. If you start as a temp, you can get a feel for the employer while they evaluate you. You can make good connections even if you only stay for a short-term position. Some positions are “temp to perm” and others are for a stated time period. Agencies often have some training available and they work to help you get into a job. Temp jobs can be a great way to get a job fast.
Many agencies are private companies, some may specialize in certain fields like accounting, for example. Your state may have an employment agency — possibly at the same location as your local unemployment office.
Another thing to look for is adult education in your community. There are many inexpensive and short courses given at local schools at night or on the weekend. You may find one to help with resume writing and job search tools. Some classes may only meet 1-5 times for a couple of hours. Your local library may have the information you need, or your town administrative office. It definitely helps if prospective employers see that you have taken the initiative to prepare for your job search.
One more idea . . . take a Civil Service Test (Barnes & Noble bookstore might have a study guide) and apply for Post Office and other government jobs. USAjobs.gov can give you more information. The government benefits are well worth the effort!
Best of luck!
In reply to I am looking for a job right… by Amanda Fowler
I had the same thing that happened to Amanda happened to me I received a phone call also and communicated with these people through our app called Signal. They wanted me to be hired as a data entry person starting pay at $36 an hour for a well-known Health Care Agency after I looked up if there were jobs for this agency, doing data entry from home remote work, I saw there were some, but there was no number I could call to see if this was real. I did follow along for a little while not knowing for sure if it was a scam or not because I was looking for a job that was exactly like this I was hoping it was real. I did Receiver call from them saying I could get started training if I get the timekeeping machine they asked me to put out $500 and that it would be reimbursed to me right away. I knew it probably was a scam. They also told me they were sending me a check in the mail and sent me the tracking number to the envelope , I did put out the $500 like an idiot when I receive the check and saw it it looked fake to me that’s when I stopped communicating with them and realize that I just lost $500. It was worth it to me to not get scammed into them , taking my money from my bank they didn’t have any of my personal information other than my address and name. I think they should be hunted down and locked up. Everything that was done was done in this country not overseas I have the envelope from where the check was mailed and it was mailed to North Dakota, etc. , someone should help us in the federal government.
In reply to I am looking for a job right… by Amanda Fowler
I have been up against the same thing Amanda. I placed my resume on-line for a remote data entry job, and I can't tell you how many people have been impersonating companies to get your information. The domains they use are often a dead giveaway but not all the time. Beware of Aitbiotech data entry offers. I notified that company and provided then with the email addresses since they are located out of China.
Thank you for the notification. I am unemployed and looking for work on the internet. This is good advice.
Why are scammers allowed to get away with their scams rather than being tracked down, apprehended, and imprisoned for their crimes.
In reply to Why are scammers allowed to… by Ted Gorzny
It isn’t so easy. Many of these scammers are operating in foreign countries. They have elaborate schemes, so people need to be informed and not communicate with anyone they don’t know. If it looks like your bank is calling, let it go to voicemail. If it is legitimate, they will leave a message and then you can contact your bank using the number on your credit/debit card or look up the main number for the bank. Remember that scammers are able to make t look like they are calling from any number they choose — never trust caller ID.
AZ Connect uses website with fake positions and employment opportunities, indeed, zip cruiser, simply hire, monster, Glassdoor, and others repost OLD opportunities. The state Unemployment site post fake jobs, and when I emailed zip recruiter and others, they reply that their policies allow it. Millions of unemployed people apply for fake positions from Companies that don't know a post is added as NEW when NO JOBS are available.
Collecting people's data by lying a lot.
I think some one is using my ID.For identity theft.David
Be aware of anyone saying they found your resume on-line and want to offer you a job. I have my resume posted on Career-builder and I can't tell you how many people have sent me emails with gmail domains pretending to be offering me a job opportunity. If their domain is not associated with that company... beware. If anyone sends you a job opportunity and says they are from AITbiotech, report their email address to the FTC is it does not contain the domain @aitbiotech.com. They cleverly went through all the hiring stages and were very convincing, until I was sent a direct deposit slip and W4 form to fill out but the documents came from a unrelated domain. I immediately declined their offer and reported it to the actual company, as well as FTC.
In reply to Be aware of anyone saying… by Causious applicant
right on!!! Those @gmail slimy scammers are relentless! I just continue to block them, unsubscribe, whatever it takes to do due diligence to stop the emails.