CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Better Business Bureau Scam Tracker has found in the first quarter of the year, employment scams have doubled, and money loss increased substantially.
Katie Galan with the BBB said this type of scam is dangerous.
“There’s not only the potential to lose money, but there’s also the big potential to have your identity compromised,” Galan said.
In most cases, scammers will make contact through email, claiming to represent a made-up or impersonated company.
“They’re offering these jobs and reaching out to people saying it’s a work-from-home positions as an after-hours job,” Galan said.
Often, the interview will be conducted entirely through text with no voice or video call and finishes with an immediate job offer starting the very next day.
Branch Seevers at Workforce Solutions knows there are jobs out there that are not legitimate.
“Most of the time I would find a job by coming to Workforce Solutions. By using the resources, the computer network and doing it myself,” Seevers said.
Seevers tells us if it’s too good to be true, it probably is.
“Be it education, experience, or whatever it may be. Without the knowledge and the skills that they’re asking for, your kind of sunk without going forward,” Seevers explained.
As more people consider applying for a job, Galan advises applicants to do their research.
“We want people to be careful and do their research on the front end before making any moves or hand over any money,” Galan said.
Avoiding Employment Scams
Evaluate work-from-home opportunities. The transition to remote work has created many opportunities for legitimate and fraudulent businesses. While many work-from-home job openings are honest, it is essential to critically evaluate the hiring process of any company offering this type of employment. Be wary of companies that require the applicant to download a specific mobile app to communicate, conduct the entirety of the interview through text or chat, or do not provide a physical address for the business.
Verify contact details. BBB recommends verifying that the address provided matches the business and that the phone number is in service. It is common for scammers to use addresses for vacant lots or other companies and a phone number that is either fabricated or not in service. At a minimum, verify that at least two contact methods will get you in touch with company representatives.
