COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — It takes work to find a new job, but according to a new study from the Better Business Bureau, scammers are making the process even harder for jobseekers.
“The top three riskiest scams in 2021 were online purchases, cryptocurrency, and employment scams,” said LeeAnne Lanigan, Director of Investigations at the Better Business Bureau Serving Central Ohio.
Lanigan said scammers will post a fake job listing on a legitimate website, hoping someone will provide their personal information.
“That’s why they’re good. Because they do want your resume, they may ask you to fill out an employment form, they may ask you to fill out a confidentiality agreement,” said Lanigan.
One of the positions that garnered the most interest last year, according to the BBB was administrative assistant.
“People will be accepting packages or accepting money, accepting envelopes, accepting mail, Lanigan said. “In essence, these people are money mules.”
Even if you find a posting on a popular and well-known website, Lanigan said it’s up to you to do the work, to make sure it’s the real deal.
“Look up the company, find the company’s phone number, and just call them,” said Lanigan.
And if a potential employer reaches out to you, check the email address.
“A business, a company, is not going to have @gmail, @yahoo… those general email addresses… it should be their company at the end of it, plus .com.”
