March 26, 2024

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — With millions of people out of work due to the pandemic, scammers are targeting job seekers and many of those who fall victim end up providing the scammers with personal information.

We often report that people over 65 are most vulnerable to being conned, but it’s younger people who are more likely to fall victim to work scams. There are a number of scams aimed at those seeking jobs, many involve identity theft and payments using fake checks. The contact is primarily made by either email or text message. Victims report that they have applied for several jobs online, and often believe the contact is a result of those online efforts.

The Better Business Bureau reports that an estimated 14 million people are exposed to employment scams every year, the average loss is $1,000, and $2 billion is lost annually nationwide. In East Tennessee, more than 7,000 scams have been reported according to BBB.

“This is a Facebook, they got a Facebook ad, a 9 to 5 job, that says they can make over 10-thousand dollars a month. They ended up losing 98-hundred dollars,” said Tony Binkley with BBB. “So, if you see a job offer the best this to do is go to the company’s website and confirm that that job offer is real. Even some of the most famous job sites that are out there, Indeed, and things like that are reporting a…

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