Influencers: Spot a job scam

Maybe you — or even your pet — are an influencer. But did you know that scammers might target you with phony job opportunities? You might get a message on social media, supposedly from a recruiter or “brand ambassador manager” of a national company. They say they’ll send you free products and pay you big bucks to promote and tag their stuff on social media. All you need to do, they say, is give them your banking information so they can pay you. But this isn’t a job opportunity. It’s a scam, and here’s how to avoid it.

• Research the offer before doing anything. Look up the name of the company plus words like “scam,” “review,” or “complaint.” Contact the company directly to confirm the offer. But use information you know is real — not what the so-called recruiter gave you. If you can’t confirm the offer is real, walk away.
• Never give out your personal or financial information to anyone who contacts you unexpectedly. And no honest potential employer will ever send you a check to deposit and then tell you to send on part of the money, or buy gift cards with it and send them the card numbers. The check will bounce, and the bank will want you to repay that money.
• Spot the red flags. Do they want you to sign up fast — before you can ask any questions? Is your “recruiter” using a personal account, email, or number not affiliated with the company they say they’re with? Did they ask you to send money or pay for something? Those are signs of a job scam. And no matter how compelling the story, if someone insists that you can only pay with a gift card, cryptocurrency, a payment app, or a wire transfer service like Western Union or MoneyGram, don’t do it. It’s a scam.

Report job scams at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Image