Here is how you can protect yourself against the increase in scams

In a climate where people have difficulty finding work, it doesn’t help Some For jobs scammers of scammers who try to take over the work pool, NBC News Reports.

Data from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) shows that scammers use WhatsApp to start the conversation, which ultimately leads to that enthusiastic job seekers in ‘a job’ are catfeeded. The scam increased enormously between 2020 and 2023, but in 2024 job losses resulted in a loss of $ 220 million. It is said that nearly 20,000 people experienced Gamified Folouring or Task -Hulp – defined as a kind of online fraud in which victims are lured in fast and easy jobs at the beginning of 2024 – compared to 5,000 in the entire year of 2023.

Assistant director of the marketing practices of the Federal Trade Commission Kati Daffan, breaks out exactly how innocent people are lured in this lucrative scams. She says it’s a game of trust. “Most people who ultimately lose money to a scammer behave quite rational,” said Daffan. “Scammers are refined and they continue to change their tactics.”

How things start is that victims receive an unexpected text or WhatsApp offer from a “recruiter” with an unknown number and an offer of online work. Usual terms used are “earning good money” through “product boosting” or “optimization tasks” for a digital platform or app, such as assessment products or liking videos. Scammers promise to be paid by “committees” per click, and once the tasks are completed, employees see an increased number of “income” that are fake on the platform.

According to Fox 13Scammers have simulated as large companies, including Target and Costco. In Memphis, Tennessee, Better Business Bureau of the Mid-South spokesperson Daniel Irwin said that there is Nine reports At the beginning of July 2024 alone. Tina Bradshaw, who received the scam communication, said she knew something was finished when the “recruiter” offered to pay her $ 500 a day for just two hours of work. “They play on the vulnerability of people,” she explained.

“They play on people’s need for more income.”

Such as Eva Velasquez, CEO of the Identity Theft Resource Center, said, scammers who usually hunt those who are new to the workforce and are actively looking for jobs, the last app asks employees to pour their own money, usually in Crypto, to complete more tasks and to withdraw the non-existent profit. The catch is, if employees do not do the down payment, real money is lost and the payment is never received. “Often the job will have an easy interview or not an interview, you promise to let yourself be worked at home and to start immediately,” Velasquez said.

“Sometimes they start with praise, and the person will feel that their skills are being recognized.” Oh, you think I’m great? Tell me more. “

With Daffan who says: “only 4.8% of people complain” for law enforcement or government tribers, experts are of the opinion that to prevent such cases, job seekers must ignore unexpected texts or WhatsApp messages about jobs, despite how charming can the message come across. Moreover, experts advise employers who say they will pay you to assess things online, especially if the instruction is not supplied with a process for using the products.

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