BBB: Job scams up 250% in 2023 compared to same time last year

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - If you’re looking for a new job, you might want to be extra careful with your search. A recent investigation by the Better Business Bureau shows job scams are up 250% in the first three months of 2023 when compared to the same period in 2022.

The BBB reports people have lost a combined $840,000 in the first three months of this year. In 2022, it took nine months to reach that same figure.

Lisa Schiller, the director of investigations and media relations for Better Business Bureau Wisconsin, said scammers are taking advantage of people looking for remote work.

“When they’re looking for a job and then somebody reaches out to the person and says, ‘hey, I got the perfect job,’ ‘hey, I’m with this company and all you need to do is ship or reship packages,’ and then they’re offered a fantastic salary, people believe it’s real,” Schiller said.

The most common age group targeted is 18 to 34 year old’s. Those falling prey to scammers are losing an average of $1,500.

“I think that the scariest part of this really is that in job scams, we see scammers asking consumers for personal information,” Schiller said. “So many consumers had clicked on a link and provided tons of personal and banking information and who knows where that information went?”

Some tips to avoid job scams include checking the company email to ensure it’s not a personal address, being cautious of providing personal information and researching the company to verify its legitimacy.

“If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is,” Schiller said. “Contact the company directly. Maybe speak with HR or a manager and just verify that the job that you’re applying for that you’ve seen advertised or you are approached about really exists.”

Schiller said these job scams likely won’t go away anytime soon.

“As long as job scams are working, and they are right now, scammers are going to going to continue to try to bait people,” Schiller said.

You can check if a job posting is legit by searching up the company here.

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