When it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. We’re talking about that job you were offered randomly via text message, offering unbelievable pay for minimal effort…and usually remotely. According to the Federal Trade Commission, job scam complaints are increasing to the tune of hundreds of millions of stolen dollars. The scammer figures out how to gain the trust of their mark via text message, and eventually gives details on a gig that offers “commissions” for clicking and liking posts and videos. Then, the victim is asked to open an account, which inevitably involves depositing money that’ll never be seen again. Job seekers looking for that next gig are the prime targets for these weasels. Here are a few rules to live by with this stuff:
- Ignore any unsolicited text or message about jobs coming from a number you don’t recognize
- Never pay money to make money…that’s the number one red flag
- Don’t trust anyone who claims they can pay you to “rate or like things online” without a rock-solid process explaining how you’ll be using the products or services you’ll be rating and details on how the pay structure works
Source: Associated Press