VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - While the country was on lockdown, people realized they like working from home and criminals realized this was a new opportunity to take advantage.
The Better Business Bureau said employment scams have only increased during the pandemic. In fact, in 2020 "the BBB estimated 14 million victims with $2 billion in direct losses related to job scams." Furthermore, the report found that "this fraud most commonly victimized people ages 25-34, with women filing 67% of complaints about this fraud."
Abby Stewart from Virginia Beach almost became a victim herself.
Recently, she was looking for remote jobs online because she likes not having to go far to start her day.
"I have always wanted to be able to work from home," she said.
When she was browsing for employment opportunities on Indeed, a posting for an all-remote Creative Content Writer caught her attention.
"I was really looking forward to this, the benefits were amazing. And the pay was actually double what I've ever made in that same position," she told Problem Solver, Erin Miller.
However, the position didn't really exist. In hindsight, Stewart said there were "quite a few red flags," starting with the interview process.
Stewart was told that, instead of a phone call or a face-to-face conversation, she would be interviewing through a messaging app called Wire.
"I thought that that just might be a progressive way of, of, you know, interviewing these days, I wasn't quite sure," Stewart said.
She said it was a professional interview, with engaging questions, and a few days later she was offered the job. She immediately accepted.
Although right off the bat, before any formal paperwork, she was told that since she'd be working remotely the company would buy her a laptop, headphones, and other supplies. They sent her an e-check for close to $5,000.
"This where this is where Abby should have been a little bit more vigilant, but I was really excited," she said.
She said after she cashed the check, the so-called recruitment manger got very panicky and pushy. He also changed his Wire username and handle in the middle of the process, saying he "messed up his login instructions."
They wanted her to deposit the money, send it back, and have the "vendors" deliver the products.
"I'm trying to grocery shop, and he's messaging me, like, 'is there any way that you can still try to get [the money] tomorrow?' And, in hindsight, they're trying to get [the check] to clear before the bank realizes that it's fraudulent," Stewart said.
Ultimately she realized, she was being taken advantage of. After reaching out to local authorities and sharing her situation, her bank, the local FBI, and the Virginia Fusion Center all confirmed this.
"[These people] mess with your emotions, not just your pocketbook, or your finances, or your time, but your emotions, too," she said.
Stewart froze her accounts and her credit. She said she didn't lose any money, but wants to raise awareness for the next person looking for a new opportunity online.
"It's better to share with the public and so that it doesn't happen to somebody else," she said. "Share as much as you can, you know, shout it from the rooftops and just try to help each other. We've got to help each other because it's just, it's running, they're running rampant. We have to stand together."
How can you spot a situation like this? The Federal Trade Commission, Better Business Bureau and Indeed said:
- Be aware if the job is "too good to be true"
- Make sure a second contact can confirm the legitimacy of the job offer
- Always see someone from the company face-to-face
What should you do if you find yourself in this situation?
- Never deposit a check that is sent to you
- Contact a senior employee in the company to verify the job
- Report any suspicious activity to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), State Attorney General (OAG), Better Business Bureau (BBB), or Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI).
In Stewart's case, the owner of the real company ended up reaching out to her after they saw an article she had written online. He, again, confirmed that the company had not been in communication with her. Although, they did interview Stewart for another available position in the company. She's still waiting to hear back.
