Employment scams have been on the rise since the start of the pandemic as bad actors leach off people facing unemployment or looking for “work from home” jobs.
TAMPA, Fla. — Employment scams have been on the rise since the start of the pandemic as bad actors leach off people facing unemployment or looking for ‘work from home’ jobs. These criminals are after your money and identity, history shows.
In 2020, the Better Business Bureau estimates 14 million job scams filled online search queries, with roughly $2 billion in direct losses.
The average victim lost $1,000 and valuable time, performing work they were never paid for.
Bryan Oglesby, the Director of Public Relations for the Better Business Bureau West Florida, says the pandemic – its emotional toll and how it has shattered our “norm” – has created a situation ripe for scammers.
“The biggest way [scammers] take advantage of consumers is by playing off their emotions. So whenever there’s emotions at bay, consumers are confused or unsure about something, scammers see that as an opportunity,” Oglesby said.
Keith Givens specializes in cyber crimes as a supervisory special agent with the Tampa division of the FBI.
“The first thing…
