‘Happens every single day’: Employment scams targeting Indiana job seekers

INDIANAPOLIS — In this week’s Tip of the Week, the Better Business Bureau is warning people about scams targeting people looking for work.

“It’s so prevalent; it happens every single day, and it’s one of those things that is very easy to perpetuate because you have a prime audience that is looking for an opportunity to better their situation,” said Jennifer Adamany, a spokesperson for the Better Business Bureau Serving Central Indiana.

The scammers often impersonate recruiters from well-known companies.

They may text, email, or call you with what sounds like a great opportunity.

“They also will try to sometimes entice you by saying, ‘We’ll send you money for equipment that you’re going to need,’” said Adamany. “They will claim that the check that they sent you was either too much or something to that sort, and say, can you send back the difference? And what that ends up being is a fake check scam.”

The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center received nearly 25,000 reports of employment scams last year, resulting in nearly $363 million in losses.

The best way to protect yourself is to leave the platform you’re on, find a verified phone number, call them, and ask if this is a real opportunity.

Federal Trade Commission on job scams

• Search online. Look up the name of the company or the person who’s hiring you, plus the words “scam,” “review,” or “complaint.” See if others say they’ve been scammed by that company or person. No complaints? It doesn’t guarantee that a company is honest, but complaints can tip you off to possible problems.
• Talk to someone you trust. Describe the offer to them. What do they think? This also helps give you vital time to think about the offer.
• Don’t pay for the promise of a job. Honest 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. 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. That’s a fake check scam. The check will bounce, and the bank will want you to repay the amount of the fake check.