How the Scam Works:
You post a resume or apply for a job online. Soon you’re contacted via text message by someone claiming to have seen your resume and claiming they represent a real business with a good reputation. The representative says you’d “be a great fit” for their position and they ask you to contact them for an interview via Google Hangouts or another video chat service.
After “interviewing” you’re immediately offered an excellent job. This pattern is a new change from the past when scammers typically emailed targets and made a job offer without an interview.
Your new “job” has some unusual requests. The interviewer may send you funds to deposit into your bank account in which you’ll use to purchase supplies for your new job. Or they require your banking information under the guise of setting up direct deposit. They also may send you surplus funds in a bad check and ask you to deposit it and wire some funds back to the company. Job scams take many forms. If you question the company’s methods, you’ll likely be met with a defensive response. Don’t give in–the job’s not real!
How to Protect Yourself from Employment Scams:
- Double check the job posting. If a person claims to represent a reputable company, visit the official website and look for the job posting before agreeing to an interview. If you can’t find it, it’s probably a scam.
- Be wary of unusual procedures. No reputable company would ask you to pay money to receive a job offer, nor would they send you a check before you’ve completed any work or overpay you for supplies and ask you send back part of the money.
- Look out for generic job offers. Jobs that are very general, for example “customer service representative,” are the most likely to be scams. It could be a red flag if you find the same job description for different companies posted on many websites.
For More Information:
For more ways to protect yourself from this kind of scam, see the BBB.org/EmploymentScam. You can find general tips for avoiding scams at BBB.org/AvoidScams. If you’ve been the victim of an employment scam, help others spot fraudsters by reporting your experience at BBB.org/ScamTracker.
