CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KFVS) – People looking for seasonal work opportunities should watch out for those that seem nice, but are actually naughty.

The Better Business Bureau’s Scam Tracker Report for 2023 ranked employment scams second in level of risk.

Data shows that reports of this type of scam increased by more than 50% compared to the previous year.

The median amount of money people lose is $2,000.

BBB regional director Sydney Waters said increased recruitment for remote work since the pandemic was a contributing factor.

“We don’t want to discourage you from finding a job over the holidays – we’d just like to give you some insight into how to do it safely and what types of scams are circulating this year,” she said.

People can start by looking for red flags in job postings and pre-employment interactions.

If the employer requires an upfront payment, such as for application fees, training or office supplies, this must be taken into account.

“Anyone who needs that financial and personal information up front, that should raise a red flag, and you should do some additional research on that company,” Waters said.

Likewise, if someone is willing to offer a job without an interview, that’s a suspicious sign.

“At the end of the day, you should at least have a phone interview,” Waters said. “Best case scenario, an in-person interview, then a Zoom interview, then (at a minimum), a phone interview. »

Never take a job where the only interaction is via text or email, because there’s probably a scammer on the other end.

Fraudsters also use AI in their favor, creating fake web pages that closely resemble legitimate businesses.

To make sure a business page is the real deal, first browse the BBB homepage.

“It’s a safe browsing portal, we’ve looked at these websites, you can look at it and know that you’re going to call safe numbers and use safe websites,” Waters said.

While people typically think that scams only target older generations, a new type of scam targets the 18-24 age group.

Package scams involve little work for high pay, performing tasks such as stuffing envelopes, checking inventory, and then reshipping the items.

“They’ll hire you without much interaction, for a very small, well-paying job, and you’ll do things like check boxes to make sure nothing is broken and reship those packages to other addresses,” she said. declared.

This is another case of something being too good to be true.

“You will do this job, give these people your financial information to get paid, and when payday comes, they will totally disappear,” Waters said. “You were not paid for the work and in fact contributed to a two-part scam aimed at routing stolen goods to another address.”

Several people have already reported package scams to the BBB this year.

When it comes to avoiding any form of employment scam, Waters recommends taking these steps before signing anything or disclosing personal information:

• Talk to people who already work at the company
• Contact the manager or another company official
• Obtain an employment contract
• Ask for details about employment, duration, pay cycle, etc.

Visit bbb.org to find out more.

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