Work-at-home job offer of up to $1,000 per day is a scam: Red flags

Hi, “Mia, with Indeed”, I would like to accept your offer for a work from home job that pays you up to $1,000 per day. Yes, I am at least 22 years old. But I am not sure if we should chat on WhatsApp. Where Exactly are you located?

Of course, nothing would please me more than an easy job at $365,000 a year. Why would I want to take a day off? And yet, Mia, I ask myself: why me?

No, I didn’t respond to “Mia” when she texted me via “[email protected]” one Sunday morning in late June. I was rushing to my stretching class, then planning to go to church, and later getting ready to tackle a few items on my Sunday to-do list. And given that a month earlier I had written another column about job scams, the odds weren’t great that Mia and I would become best friends anyway.

But I’m sharing the context of the text just in case Mia is a lot like our old friend Shasta who did a ton of robocall warranty ads a few years ago for your car. Maybe Mia is sending a flood of texts and emails to people who are actively looking for work on Indeed or other job-related websites. You think?

More: Scammers take advantage of kindness by asking to borrow phones and sending fake money to apps

Job scams result in median loss of $2,169

Online job scams are on the rise. Many job seekers can be affected: recent graduates, people looking for extra income to pay their grocery bills and rent, and those at risk of being laid off.

According to the Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Sentinel Network, consumers filed nearly 108,500 complaints about fake job and business offers in 2023. About 32% of those complaints involved monetary losses, with a median loss of $2,169. Total reported losses exceeded $500 million.

Scammers often pretend to be recruiters and promise to hire you for a position that doesn’t exist, according to a fraud alert from global staffing agency Robert Half, which notes that some fraudsters illegally use the Robert Half name and logo in their scams. “The scammer then uses that promised job to ask you for money or sensitive information.”

HR copycats are behind all sorts of household names, such as recruiting agency Kelly Services, LinkedIn, Robert Half and Indeed.

What does “Mia from Indeed” say in a scam

Here’s an excerpt from Mia’s long text: “Your background and resume have caught the attention of several online recruiters, so we’d like to offer you a job that you can do from home in your spare time.”

“This work is easy and has no time limit.”

“The daily salary ranges from $200 to $1,000 and is paid the same day.”

“Join us and participate in the booming American job market and start a career you can be proud of.”

Okay, I started my career a while ago, maybe even before Mia’s mother was born. But still, up to $1,000 a day?

Unfortunately, we have to admit that while it sounds too good to be true, it is actually a scam.

FBI Warns of Cryptocurrency-Related Job Scam

The FBI issued an alert on June 4 warning consumers of a job scam that directs them to a fake account showing they are earning money, but for some reason the worker is unable to get any money.

Huge red flags: The employer doesn’t require any references as part of the hiring process. And, as part of this scam, you’ll be required to make cryptocurrency payments to your employer as part of your job.

According to the FBI warning, the work-at-home jobs are offered by what appears to be a legitimate recruiting or staffing company and the jobs typically involve a task such as evaluating restaurants or “optimizing” a service by repeatedly clicking a button.

The job seeker may receive an unsolicited call or message.

Here’s the really tricky part: “The scammers design the fake job with a confusing pay structure that requires victims to make cryptocurrency payments in order to earn more money or ‘unlock’ a job,” the FBI said, “and the payments go directly to the scammer.”

The FBI also warns in its latest employment scam warning: “Do not pay for services that claim to be able to recover lost cryptocurrency funds.”

More: Scammers convince people to hand over thousands of dollars in cash and use couriers to pick it up

In late May, a woman in metro Detroit said she applied for a job on Indeed.com because she thought the job posting was from a legitimate company. A fake human resources employee at the company then contacted her and obtained the woman’s personal information, according to the Troy police report.

The woman received a $500 check as part of the scam and was asked to deposit the check at the bank. But the bank told her the check was fraudulent when she tried to deposit it. Fortunately, she didn’t lose any money, but her personal information was compromised.

I have also heard of work from home scams that ask the worker to go buy a laptop with their own credit card. Imagine what happens to your $1,500 after you make that purchase. And yes, you will lose that money and never see that laptop appear.

Some job scams may start with a simple email or text message that says, “Hey guys! I need someone who can work part-time weekend mornings (7am-11am) and part-time afternoons (6pm-10pm). Urgent. If interested, mark “Yes” in the inbox. Details will be provided. Thanks.”

What are the red flags of employment scams?

Consumers are advised to exercise particular caution when dealing with unsolicited job offers, including work-at-home offers. Do not click on links, download files, or open attachments in these messages.

Never buy equipment or supplies to start a home business. Never send money or wire money through a bitcoin ATM at a local store to a supposed employer. Also, don’t cash a check that a new employer sends you in advance to purchase equipment.

Never send any form of payment to a potential employer:“Not only is charging companies a fee a violation of Indeed’s policies, it’s often a form of fraud,” according to an Indeed alert. According to an Indeed spokesperson, Indeed removes “tens of millions of jobs each month that don’t meet our quality standards.” Indeed won’t do business with an employer if its job postings don’t meet rigorous quality standards.

Be skeptical of a job offer that doesn’t call you by name.If they are impressed with your education or work, why don’t they know your name when they email or text you?

Do not use instant messaging. Never send documents or provide your Social Security number or banking information through instant messaging services, such as Telegram. Legitimate recruiters do not use WhatsApp, Google Hangouts, or Google Chat to conduct interviews. Legitimate hiring managers are more likely to use GoToMeeting or Microsoft Teams using their company account, according to an alert from Kelly Services.

Job interviews aren’t conducted via instant messaging. “The anonymity associated with instant messaging can increase the likelihood that you’ll be asked personal questions unrelated to the job, which could indicate that the interview is a scam,” according to a fraud alert from Indeed.

Never count on a check to “clear.” “No honest potential employer will ever send you a check to deposit and then ask you to send part of it or buy gift cards,” according to an FTC job scam alert. “This is a fake check scam. The check will bounce, and the bank will ask you to repay the amount of the fake check.”

Take a second look at the email: “A Gmail or Yahoo email address is a red flag,” according to a fraud alert from Kelly Services.

Search for the name of the company or person who contacted you. But add the words “scam”. Be aware that sometimes scammers will pretend to be people who work at a company or university as part of a job scam. Call the company directly to see if they are hiring and they will text or email you. I haven’t noticed anything for Mia yet. But there is an online alert for Nina’s job scams.

Still, Mia, as tempting as your job offer is, no, you won’t hear from me again. Well, I guess maybe you just heard from me.

Contact personal finance columnist Susan Tompor: [email protected]. Follow her on X (Twitter) @to fall.