MONROE, La. (KNOE) – Jo Ann Deal with the Better Business Bureau joined Good Morning ArkLaMiss to talk about impostor job offer texts.
Deal said scammers know that many people want to work from home, so they take advantage of this by advertising jobs that claim to generate thousands of dollars a month with minimal time and effort.
According to Deal, there are several signs to spot a possible impostor scam text, such as getting a random text from someone who says they’re a recruiter, even if it appears to be from a company you know.
The text might ask you to share personal or financial information.
“Scammers might try to recruit you by saying you can be your own boss, start your own business, or set your own schedule. But instead of making money, you might end up paying for starter kits, so-called training, or certifications that are useless,” Deal said.
Deal offered these tips to avoid possibly fake job offers:
- Validate names, addresses, and business credentials
- Do not click on links or respond to unexpected texts
- Do some research, such as searching online for the name of the company and words like “review,” “scam,” or “complaint.”
- Block unwanted texts
Deal said honest employers will never ask you to pay to get a job, and they also never will send a check and ask you to send back part of the money or to buy gift cards with it.
“That’s a fake check scam. The check will bounce, and the bank will want you to repay the money,” Deal said.
Report possible scams to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and forward the text to 7726 (SPAM), or use your phone’s report “junk” option to delete and report it.
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