JOB SCAMS – Traps to Finding a New Job

With local governments loosening COVID-19 restrictions, people are looking for jobs. But scammers advertise fake jobs in all of the same places that legitimate businesses advertise; ads, job sites, social media, newspapers, and TV/radio, only to take your money. And you are still left without a job.

Some ways scammers try to fool you into giving them your money and your personal information include:

Work from home job scams. How easy, make thousands of dollars from home. This appeal may seem to have more legitimacy in this time of more office workers working from home due to the pandemic. The work could be to reship things or sell a product to your friends. And the lure is making money while you have independence, it’s your own business, and you can set your own schedule.  

In a reshipping scam, you might see an ad for a quality control person or a virtual personal assistant. When you are hired, you find out that your job is to receive packages at home, discard the original packaging and receipts, repackage the products then reship the product to another address. Sometimes that address is overseas. The products are often high-priced goods that probably have been purchased using stolen credit cards. This isn’t a job; this is being part of a scam. You may be promised your first paycheck after a month of “work.” But the check never comes and when you try to contact the company, the phone has been disconnected or the web site is no longer active. If you gave them your personal information for “payroll,” you are a victim of identity theft.

In a reselling scam, you may get a call or see an ad offering to sell you luxury products at less than retail prices which you can sell to your friends and neighbors for full retail at a profit. After you pay for the products, they never arrive, or you receive a box of junk.

Nanny, caregiver, virtual assistant job scams. You may receive an email or see an ad by someone looking for a nanny, caregiver, or virtual assistant position. The ad or email may appear to be from an organization that you know such as your university. One trick scammers use is to send you a check after you have been “hired.” They will tell you to keep part of the check, then send the rest back or forward it to someone else under the guise of an accidental overpayment or some other guise. Eventually, your bank will find out that the check is no good and will charge you for the full amount of the check. Legitimate employers will not ask you to do this.

Mystery Shopper scams. Legitimate businesses may hire part time “mystery” or “secret” shoppers to find out what really goes on in their stores or restaurants. The mystery shopper pays for products or services themselves then is reimbursed. Scammers will offer mystery shopper positions, but may charge for certifications, directories of jobs, or job guarantees. They may also overpay you with a check, then ask you to return the overpaid amount after you deposit the check (see Nanny, caregiver, virtual assistant job scams).

Job placement service scams. Legitimate staffing agencies, temporary agencies, and headhunters provide a service to you, the prospective employee, and to the business that hires you. Typically, these agencies are reimbursed by the company that hires you. Scammers will lie/exaggerate what they will do for you, promote outdated or fake job openings, and charge fees for so call services.

Government and postal jobs scams. Scammers will offer to help you get a government or postal job, often with fees for the service or study materials to get a high score on the postal exam. Most of what the scammers have to offer is free, you do not need to pay for their “services.”

Ways you can avoid being scammed on your search for a job are,

·         Do an online search of the company or the person who is hiring you plus the words “scam,” “review,” or “complaint” and see what comes up.

·         Talk to someone you trust about the offer and find out what they think.

·         Don’t pay for the promise of a job. The Federal Trade Commission points out “Legitimate employers, including the federal government, will never ask you to pay to get a job. Anyone who does is a scammer.”

·         Never bank on a “cleared” check. Legitimate employers will not send you a check, then ask you to send part of it back. That is a fake check scam.

For more information about job scams and how to protect yourself from them, check out the following resources,

 

Washington State Attorney General’s Office:

https://www.atg.wa.gov/job-scams

 

Federal Trade Commission:

            Job Scams:

https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/job-scams

https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2021/04/dont-let-job-scams-block-your-path-forward

 

            Mystery Shopper Scams:

https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/mystery-shopping-scams

 

Fake Check Scams:

https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-spot-avoid-and-report-fake-check-scams