The Idaho Department of Finance is warning jobseekers to be aware of employment scam red flags in light of a recent consumer complaint the department received and the continued prevalence of these scams nationwide.
In the first quarter of 2022, U.S. consumers were scammed out of $68 million as a result of fake business and job opportunity schemes, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Although this is not a new threat, it continues to have a devastating impact on victims, resulting in monetary harm, identity theft and even unwitting involvement in criminal schemes such as money laundering.
“Employment scams are egregious in that they target individuals intentionally seeking to improve their financial futures,” said Patricia Perkins, director of the Idaho Department of Finance. “It is particularly important that consumers take precautions to verify the identity of the job poster and position before they engage.”
Employment scams occur when cyber criminals deceive jobseekers into believing they have a potential job, then leverage their role as an “employer” to elicit the desired information or action from the victim. These criminals pose as employers or recruiters online much like legitimate employers do, through employment websites, advertisements on social media channels, newspapers or they may communicate via unsolicited emails or text messages. They lure jobseekers with flashy descriptions or low-effort,…
