I don't care how desperate you are, never under any circumstances give someone money so you can work for them. If they tell you you need a license and you have to pay for it, walk away. If they tell you you need to buy a kit, find something else to do.
i remember a recruiter made me pay for a $50 security clearance before even an interview. the clearance was legit but nothing came of it. and for a while she strung me along but stopped taking my calls after a while.
@@Vzzdak the recruiter didn't take the money. but it was her duty to forward me the next process of getting the secret clearance. but she ghosted me and wasted my money. later employers all paid me for that plus the drive to and back for the fingerprints required.
I’ve never seen someone so calm yet so irritated at the same time 🤣 yes, these ppl SUCK. I’ve been job scammed before. They didn’t steal my money but they damn sure stole my time and never paid me 😤
I went exactly through what you just described a few months ago with a prospective “job offer”. The interview was entirely through a messaging app, sent what looked like a legitimate website to review, then the weird written questions, and 20 mins later I had a job! Along with the offer comes their equipment requirements that you should pay for but the company will reimburse. Long story short I went with my gut instinct and “declined” the offer. Of course I got no response and knew I dodged a bullet. People suck.
I went through the same thing, but I use online banking and wasn't able to provide them with what they would need anyway. (I don't cash checks, only DD.) But it seemed a bit too fishy for me too.
Same, I went as a far as messenging the scammer through Telegram and answering the questions for the "interview." But then I called the actual company and they confirmed no such person works there and it's a scam. I immediately blocked them, but they still attempted to call my phone. Didn't answer. Then they text messaged "Why did you block your Hiring Manager on Telegram?!!" Blocked them on my phone. They really thought I was falling for it and freaked out when it wasn't so.🤣🤣🤣🤣 Luckily no bank info was given. At most they'll sell my info like my name and number to other scammers.😩
A legitimate company will have an IT department and will always provide you with their equipment because it has to be configured for their firewalls, VPN, etc.
@@EyeWYT it doesnt matter what you use. Giving access to personal devices is just asking for a security breach. ive never heard of this trend although it wouldnt surprise me if it existed. Its why i mentioned serious companies.
When Covid hit I needed to use my personal laptop to remote into my assigned computer. A few months later they had me pick up a company laptop. At this point I would expect that the company would ship the basic hardware required but not office furniture.
My little brother delta with this EXACT same situation. They sent him a check for 7k and the job "paid" $25 an hour. We knew it sounded suspect so we took the check to the bank and in 3 minutes they told us it was a scam.
I had this happen to me. I figured it might be a scam because of the Skype text interview. As soon as they told me it was data entry for 35 dollars/hr? I knew it was bullshit. They basically said I had the job. No questions asked. They asked for all of my personal info. Instead of giving it to them, I had fun with them. I acted overly enthusiastic and started rapid-fire asking questions. They were, I'm guessing, taken aback. They said they'd be in touch later. Yeah. THEY wanted off the hook. I was like: No!! Wait!!! They cut out of there. It's sick because if I was naiive and desperate, they probably would have scammed me. If all these scammers died tomorrow, I'd throw a party. You're invited! Bring chips!
Wow, this actually happened to me this past week! Someone posed as an HR person from CVS for a remote position I saw online. Yup, they even sent me an "offer letter" in the email along with emailing me a "check" to purchase various computer and software equipment. A $3700 dollar check was sent to my email and I knew this was a scam attempt! BEWARE!
As with all scams, my initial thought is ‘who in the hell would be stupid enough to fall for this’… but then I’m reminded of a few people I know, very smart people from a tech background, who have fallen for similar scams.
People get desperate, and people with degrees and long years of professional work don't even consider working in stores and restaurants to scrape by (understandable, since such work simply has one still needing a different job). Many people who have had long employment in good companies assume that they will get treated well and that the company is not out to fleece them. Then comes the fleece.
Fundamentally, a job is about an employer transferring money to the employee. The moment a prospective "employer" asks me to shell out money for a job, I'm immediately thinking SCAM.
in the past it was pretty transparent; no reasonable employer would allow WFH arrangements for fresh recruits. post covid, however, these scams can now hide among a myriad of legitimate employment ads.
Hmm, I highly doubt your first statement about no reasonable employer allowing for WFH arrangements for fresh recruits in the past. Primarily because I was hired by very large company that doesn't provide the greatest of benefits, but they didn't have a probationary period before things like being able to work from home on occasion were allowed, so I imagine that companies that value their employees properly would have no issues with providing fresh recruits WFH setups before COVID.
I applied to an online tutoring company on Indeed. Went through an interview process and was hired. The contract looked typical as well, as was the hourly pay.This company set up my tutoring schedule and asked for information so they can direct deposit my pay. After that I heard nothing from them! No links or software to use to tutor. Fortunately, my bank is really really small and does not approve anyone to withdraw money from my account unless I tell them it is ok. This tutoring company tried to drain my bank account. 😖
Hi there! Heads up - I received similar fraud emails yesterday from "Amazon" and unfortunately they somehow created real Amazon email addresses and JDs too, but thanks to you and this video, I knew what nuances to look for. It's baffling how realistic this scam is including their sophisticated targeting. I'm happy to send you a screen grab of the email so you have it in your back pocket. Let me know, and thanks again for ALL your help! Stay safe out there folks.
They can't create real amazon emails. You need better email client, which shows you all information about the sender. Many new email clients hide this information.
Yes they are doing this now as well. Most of these scams are not that easy to catch anymore but there are still major red flags and most of them involve actually asking for money.
The crazy thing is I worked at Amazon Fresh and their interview process was completely contactless. I never spoke to a person, never had any type of formal interview just a test and then some interview questions to answer and then an email letting me know I was hired. I was sent some links for training to complete before reporting on my first day. I didn't actually connect with a person until I showed up to start at amazon fresh and the entire process was completely legit but it wasn't until I actually started that I felt comfortable I wasn't being scammed. Strangest hiring process ever.
Brian, I noticed right away upon reading your attached transcript of the interview that there were several grammatical errors throughout, such as extra spaces between words, lowercase letters where there should have been capitalized letters, such as ms excel, ms word, etc. At one point in the interview, Stacy tells Mary that if hired she'd be working on a team, then later on asks her if she prefers working on a team or independently. (?). Just a lot of info that didn't make sense...that's the first thing that would have made me ? that whole interview..
Look for misspellings and wordiness of the English language. No legit company will tell you to go out and buy equipment. I WFH since 2014. Not once did a company tell me to purchase equipment with their check. Red Flag 🚩 for sure!
Absolutely. I WFH as well. I do use my own equipment but the company was not involved in that purchase. Had the computer already just needed a good headset I did get scam emails when I was searching for a job.
*VortexTrace* , your efforts in fighting these scammers are truly commendable! We must do everything we can to shield the elderly and the public from these deceitful individuals. You're a true hero...
A bank can reverse a check as much as 30 days after depositing it. So it can look like it clears and then the money "taken back" by the bank a month later.
Correct. Counterfeit checks often contain account numbers and routing information of legitimate companies... fraud is usually caught later when account is being reconciled
This is what people don't understand, it called stop payment. Years ago, when in the helicopter business I only excepted certified checks and waited for them to clear or had the bank clear the check manually by calling the issuer bank and telling them to clear the check. I learned the hard way back then.
It’s really sad people fall for this. This is a recycled technique used in real estate too. People should refrain from working for a company that can’t coordinate their own office supplies or asks for $ upfront with promise of reimbursement. Huge red flag!!!
I got a job that was a legitimate work from home offer just after the onset of the pandemic. I interviewed online through zoom, was hired about a week later, and had a laptop, two large monitors, a keyboard, mouse and docking station sent straight to my home. No "you buy the equipment" nonsesne. I did buy a cheap desk, but that's it. It's a great job (I still have it), and I have all the perks of working from home. My commute consists of walking from the living room to the office space I have set up in the spare bedroom. My wife and daughter both bring me (too many) plates of food throughout the day. My dog occasioinally comes in the room and starts hopping up and closing the laptop with her nose because she wants attention. And the pay is pretty good too. The legit opportunities are out there.
Hi, Can I know please the name of the company you're working for? I am passing through the same experience, I am supposed to start to work the following monday but I am still skeptical is too good to be true
Another scammer tell is the use of free email accounts. Be super careful of any potential employer approaching you from a gmail account. Ask them to resend their email through the company's domain account. A legit employer won't have any problem with this request. If they can't or won't, don't engage with them any further.
In the beginning of the pandemic, I had one of these interviews from a LinkedIn post. There were many red flags from the email address to the time/speed they contacted me, but I still went ahead with the interview. A less than a handful of questions in, it was clear that the other party was either a bot or going off a script because they kept asking questions while I was trying to ask why the job isn't posted on their official site.
Yup, pretty freaking sad for them to take advantage of people trying to better themselves and find better work, especially, as you said, right after/during these last few years. Disgusting. They attempted this scam on me. It was all well and good until I got a "job offer" with no more than a phone call varying that my email and location were correct; it was way too easy to get this "job" They sent me the "job offer" that basically outlined the same details as mentioned in the article (pay is this much, training schedule will involve setting up your home office etc) At this point, I looked more into it, and found out that the email address they used did NOT use the exact same extension as legitimate emails from that company. My big tip is to VERIFY that the job posting/person is legit. Look up their name and email and make sure they are accurate and related to the company. And if something feels wrong, it almost certainly is!
This happened to me last summer. I have to say it was an interesting experience and I almost fell for parts of it but they were paying way too much for the job.
Been seeing them using WhatsApp in Canada. Lot of this on Indeed. Looks like a great job, promises remote, uses the name of a company you would know and asks for an interview on whatsapp.
Thanks for the info. I usually do some research on the individuals that have contacted me online along with the company to see if anyone has anything negative about them.
I get approached by companies wanting to interview me via Google Hangouts at least once a month. When I ask them to call me, they never do. There are a TON of folks out there looking to steal money from *unemployed workers*. What the hell kind of people are these? The lowest of the freakin' low.
Very few jobs require you to pay out of pocket for job related items, but those are usually along the lines like footwear like steel toed boots which are things a job seeker would reasonably already have.
Hi Bryan, In my former job, I processed payments and refunds. Whenever someone requested a refund that was paid for by check, it was our policy that we had to wait six weeks for the check to clear before issuing the refund. Have a blessed day.
Thank God I looked into this before doing anything damaging! Thank you for laying out how the scam works as I was able to instantly identify I was wasting my time.
I sent in a resume a few years ago to what I thought was a bank (probably wasn't). I got an email back saying I was to call them and I was given a phone number. I called the number and told the lady who answered I was told to call this number and I had applied for the position. She said that in order to go to the next step in the interview process I would need to have all my money, RRSP, etc. in their bank "so we can monitor your finances". I hadn't even gotten to any interview yet and there was no guarantee even if I did all that I would get the job. Well, I declined for two reasons: I had some money in one bank and some in another, neither were the bank in question. And then I also thought - your employer monitoring your finances - what could possibly go wrong?? LOL In hindsight I believe I dodged a huge bullet as this probably was not even a bank and if I had put my money into the "account" they wanted they probably would have taken it and run.
Stephen just like you did, learn to listen, they usually tell off on themselves. The scammer did not even come close because the (Cheap) me knows better. FYI you want to send me a check with my name to purchase your equipment? Are you insane? I may be cheap but I am sure not crazy. Its sad that people don't have anything else better to do in life. But like my Grandad use to say be careful Life will find you out. Good luck on your search stay smart stay vigilant you will get what you are looking for.
Was in a similar situation but they told me I had to get a full health check before I could start and obviously the company couldn't pay for it with their reason being if I was 'unhealthy' to work, they would've wasted their money. Best part is they promised to send me the offer letter by the next day before I would go for the health check the following week. The letter never came and there was no response from the employer. Also, another red flag was they were trying to promise me senior position with high salary (job advertised was junior position with market price salary) due to my qualifications and they were 'impressed' with me during interview.
I've gotten these scams three times. Each time they request that I download and use Signal for the interview. I did it the first time but stopped the "interview" when they listed the software and hardware I would need. What I found most bemusing was the position was remote supporting another state, but I would be required to buy a $2000 laser printer
I almost fell into the bud light car wrap scam. Red flag was the Guy told me to call right before I deposit the check. Better yet when you are standing outside. I then looked it up found all the people that have been scanned. This is the exact same way.
I was approached a couple times by companies using similar methods. In each case, you have to ask yourself why a company is doing things in a way that is out of the ordinary. Why would they send you a check instead of just shipping you the required equipment? If in doubt, just ask. If the answer doesn't make sense, run away as quickly as possible, then report it to the platform they used to contact you. Also look up the person who contacted you to see if the person works for them.
Yeah, encountered something similar twice; once it happened to my wife, once was directed to me: fully-text interview (SMS/E-mail with Word attachments) and the BIG RED FLAG was the interviewer was saying I had to buy new equipment for them.
I think you are so fabulous and I wish more recruiters were like you. Trying to take advantage of someone that needs a job is pretty low! Most people know to never buy their own equipment, a typical company would order it for you. But some people are less experienced and I could see how this could happen. Shame!
I've been through this. I hung up on the Google chat thing they had set up. As soon as he talked Bank info I was gone. Gone Gone Gone. I said we don't talk about that until I get legit paperwork ect. They didn't scam me!
Thank you for this video. We knew something was off about this interview process. It was beat for beat how you described only using Macy’s as a front. Beware!
Some of these random scam companies would randomly ask you to join a telegram chat! that is a scam! Also don't respond to texts or emails out of blue of a company that you never applied to!
Informative. I had a friend experience this, it was disappointing. I do challenge the thought/categorization of names as ‘normal sounding’. It is laced with bias and not relevant in my view. Thank you for increasing awareness of this unfortunate practice.
Couple of months ago I applied for job for remote data entry. A "recruiter" contacted me and set up.an interview through Google chat - posed as a legit company. Wanted to send money to my bank account for me get equipment from their "preferred vendots" . I asked what was my responbilirt regarding that equipment if I decided to discontinue the job - would I be responsible for paying that back. Woman interviewing me via chat kept avoiding the question. Also wanted me to get equipment that nothing to do with data entry (I.e. bar code printer etc) I ended the interview - too sketchy.
I had a small company try to not reimburse me for flight and hotel to come to the interview. Ignored my emails for a month, when I threatened small claims and pointed out I'd add the cost of flying in for the small claims court date, they paid. Claimed the only guy who could sign checks had been on vacation for a month
This also highlights the consumer benefits of using your credit card for purchases. Since the office equipment was never delivered, it would be easy to contact the CC company and get the charges reversed.
I actually had a company get free work from me. They asked me to create an seo audit for a "sample" website. Turns out that site was actually a customer and they tried to get free ideas to then use on their client. Basically LEGIT companies are using remote positions to get free work.
i want to thank you for sharing this. I just got a check from a weird guy pretended he is a hiring manager for a company. he overnighted this check via FedEx to me .
Happened to me too but I got suspicious during the 'interview' - the questions were really weirdly phrased and the " "interviewer " acted unprofessionally - getting impatient, annoyed, trying to intimidate me and rush me to answer faster. When he then mention the equipment and asked me for my address to send the cheque I was sure what I am dealing with. Very sad that people like that exist. I was lucky, the behavior of the scammer gave him away fast but it left me very desolate afterwords for a long while. Losing a job makes you feel hopeless anyway and then you enter unfriendly world of fraud and scams.
The time I encountered this scam it all fell apart for the scammer at the point when they spoke of the materials required for the role. In my case it was just a few software licenses to be acquired with the check, but here's where it all fell apart. Literally everything the scammer was asking me to requisition were things I already had and when I pointed that out, I got ghosted immediately.
I just got the exact same approach. Skype interview is as far as I went before ghosting them and blocking texts. Thanks for the heads up! I might have fallen for it or at least wasted more time on it if I had not seen this.
Just imagen what an intelligent scammer is able to do. When will we be able to realize we are being scammed on all levels, all from buying a second hand car and all the way up to the top level in politics?
In a recent twist, I have heard that sometimes these are not phony checks but real check illegally written against real peoples accounts. So they actually can clear and then be demanded back weeks later if and when the actual owner of the account notices the missing money. Meanwhile, the "company" asks you to provide a check back to them for any surplus. So you have already sent them 2 or 3 hundred dollars.
Also, I agree that no self-respecting employer would ever use this tactic to interview - after all, someone could pretend to be you interviewing for the job. The employers would be conning themselves in that case.
Funny, I just had this similar situation, but I flagged it back day one. They are in the wait on check phase and I was interviewed on MS Teams. Cant wait to get it to report the fraud to my bank
This has happened to me, but not for a remote work job. One was for a modeling gig, but I had to buy particular things in a VERY short period of time. I also received a check via instant delivery, which i was told was to buy the required things with, and then would be compensated further after the work began. I think this was over a weekend, so I knew the check wouldn't clear before the "supposed" gig started. It just seemed "wrong" to me, so I ripped up the check and moved on.
I'm a concept artist. I get a scam very similar to this emailed to me once a week. They email as a legit game company offering a job. I almost fell for it the first time, they had me interview over telegram. Once some red flags came up (like training. This isn't wendy's. It's for concept art, I already know how to draw lol) and they pressured me to buy equipment or send them bank info or something. By this point my alarm bells were going off and I told them I wasn't comfortable with doing that and they stopped messaging me. I e-mailed the company privately and they confirmed it was not them. I still get job offer emails like that first one though.
I encountered a scam similar to this in April 2023. I was offered the job on the basis of filling out a Word document with answers to questions. I replied "Not interested" because I was sure it was a scam. Within 24 hours, someone made fraudulent purchases with my credit card. Fortunately, I caught it right away and my credit union was able to dispute the charges successfully.
Wow! I have been working for the last 4.5+ years and still there, no plans of leaving, but started looking for remote jobs for the extra income. Just 3 days ago, responded to a recruiter wanting to do an interview using Skype. Which turned into skype text messaging for 2 hours. Many almost identical questions, got hired, and told I would receive a check to cover equipment costs, etc, etc. I started seeing red flags, so went to my bank manager to get his opinion which was very much like mine. THEN, took it a step further and went to BBB website, which has a scam checker link, and LO and BEHOLD!, there is that same company, with almost identical details as the ones I experienced, and it was reported to BBB the same day I got hit! Too good to be true is right!
Yes, this happened to me. I was contacted by a recruiter, interviewed through a messaging app-with real interview questions. Someone called my house posing as the HR manager of a company to offer me the "job". But, the voice sounded different than the face on the website. I didn't accept the "job".
I am so glad my red flags started going up - I have been hit by 7 of these today. I called one a scammer and his reply was, "Calm your sh*t down. We are starting up in the US."
I actually fell for that scam, too. Luckily I was able to call the bank in order to cancel the check but I had to get a different card because of it. It's these types of jobs that make me fearful that I might get scammed again and I've been trying to look for a job since I graduated college 4 years ago.
I went through a scam almost exactly like this a few months ago, only the interview was via Telegram. Same exact script, but what caught my eye was the "interviewer's" rude and abrasive demeanor, followed by "you need to purchase a laptop and all the software through this vendor." The entire process from start to finish felt extremely off, almost to a comical degree. I've never gone through an interview via text, plus I've never just been hired on the spot like that. I wanted to see where this scam went, so I indulged them for a while longer before calling them out.
I encountered this scam. They were a little more professional then as described here. I saw several red flags, received the check, and simply did not proceed. It smelled way too fishy.
Why do people need to spend so much to buy furniture for a remote position? I work remotely full time and I don't need any furniture. Just a laptop, which the company gave to me, and a desk and chair.
This is happening to me frequently. What do they get from this?! Who would use their own money and what thrill would a scammer get out of tricking a job seeker spending their money? I always look for the location of the company and if a business search doesn’t come back legitimate I ignore them and report the email.
I got scammed by thinking if the scammer direct deposit the funds it would be ok. No the scammer did a mail check deposit and 2 days after it bounced. At this point I had purchased the laptop and printer and did other tasks as the so called position Administrative Assistant. So, I lost almost $9,000 !!!! I hope this helps other people not to get scammed!!😢
True. If you are worth hiring, then you are worth the equipment, and your employer does not want you doing its work on your equipment. Employment is trust, and if you can deserve even $2000 a month as pay, you can be trusted to return the equipment if the job ends or you are fired.
@@paulbrower3297 Whenever I was issued company equipment... laptops cell phones etc, I signed an acknowledgement the equipment was my responsibility and would be returned if my employment ended... never asked for money upfront.
Had a similar scam try to hire me. They did the interview via Google chat, but it was a remote position for a company that was in my state. After getting “hired” I called the company’s number and neither person who reached out worked for the company. Their Linked In profiles disappeared soon after, and I ignored further communication
One of my relatives was contacted by one of these scammers but she realized it was a scam when they wanted her bank account information. The scammer portrayed himself as a representative of a legitimate company that was currently in the process of recruiting new employees.
If you end up paying for the equipment with your own credit card, you can just dispute the charge, right? And wouldn't these people be caught pretty quickly, since Mastercard/Visa knows who the company or person was who received the payment??
This happened to me back in 2011, except I probably would have been the one printing those fake checks and taking the fall. They sent me money through PayPal to buy a special check printer and check stock paper. They wanted me to go to Office Depot and buy the printer immediately so I could start work that same day lol. I was suspicious and didn't buy anything. My PayPal account was immediately frozen but that was cleared up pretty quickly. I did end up getting a legitimate remote job a couple weeks later though.
They tried to pull this on me today. Everything matched the video’s tells: interview only by IM, telling you they’ll send you a check, asking you for how you prefer your pay…. I knew I had to ditch everything when I noticed the initial email came from a Gmail account and the recruiter’s email differed from the one for the same person on the website they provided 🤦♀️ .
I recently went through a scam very similar to this. My bank account is now closed for a month due to these bastards. I hope they burn in hell. Thank for this video. Very informative. Much appreciated.
I don't care how desperate you are, never under any circumstances give someone money so you can work for them. If they tell you you need a license and you have to pay for it, walk away. If they tell you you need to buy a kit, find something else to do.
100% agree with this. No legitimate company or headhunter will require you to pay to play.
I was a victim of this one time and I learned my lesson
@@paulinejones9530 that sucks. I wish I could say I have never been scammed.
i remember a recruiter made me pay for a $50 security clearance before even an interview.
the clearance was legit but nothing came of it.
and for a while she strung me along but stopped taking my calls after a while.
@@Vzzdak the recruiter didn't take the money. but it was her duty to forward me the next process of getting the secret clearance. but she ghosted me and wasted my money. later employers all paid me for that plus the drive to and back for the fingerprints required.
I’ve never seen someone so calm yet so irritated at the same time 🤣 yes, these ppl SUCK. I’ve been job scammed before. They didn’t steal my money but they damn sure stole my time and never paid me 😤
Which company was it ?
@@eogatservices1770 it was called shoplite logistics LLC 😒 ugh I still get annoyed thinking about that
I went exactly through what you just described a few months ago with a prospective “job offer”. The interview was entirely through a messaging app, sent what looked like a legitimate website to review, then the weird written questions, and 20 mins later I had a job!
Along with the offer comes their equipment requirements that you should pay for but the company will reimburse.
Long story short I went with my gut instinct and “declined” the offer. Of course I got no response and knew I dodged a bullet.
People suck.
I went through the same thing, but I use online banking and wasn't able to provide them with what they would need anyway. (I don't cash checks, only DD.) But it seemed a bit too fishy for me too.
and now this scammer has your personal info to sell...no bueno! ⚠️
so as long as i didnt give them bank info im ok ? just got scammed
Same, I went as a far as messenging the scammer through Telegram and answering the questions for the "interview." But then I called the actual company and they confirmed no such person works there and it's a scam. I immediately blocked them, but they still attempted to call my phone. Didn't answer. Then they text messaged "Why did you block your Hiring Manager on Telegram?!!" Blocked them on my phone. They really thought I was falling for it and freaked out when it wasn't so.🤣🤣🤣🤣 Luckily no bank info was given. At most they'll sell my info like my name and number to other scammers.😩
Just happened to me and once it felt shady I blocked them and deleted Skype. Unbelievable!!!
A legitimate company will have an IT department and will always provide you with their equipment because it has to be configured for their firewalls, VPN, etc.
not necessarily
@@EyeWYT yes necessarily. No company that takes itself seriously grants Intranet access to employees personal devices.
@@nmtarav thats where you're wrong. It's a new trend called BYOD (bring your own device).. Especially if they use M365 and other online apps.
@@EyeWYT it doesnt matter what you use. Giving access to personal devices is just asking for a security breach. ive never heard of this trend although it wouldnt surprise me if it existed. Its why i mentioned serious companies.
When Covid hit I needed to use my personal laptop to remote into my assigned computer. A few months later they had me pick up a company laptop. At this point I would expect that the company would ship the basic hardware required but not office furniture.
My little brother delta with this EXACT same situation. They sent him a check for 7k and the job "paid" $25 an hour. We knew it sounded suspect so we took the check to the bank and in 3 minutes they told us it was a scam.
I had this happen to me. I figured it might be a scam because of the Skype text interview. As soon as they told me it was data entry for 35 dollars/hr? I knew it was bullshit. They basically said I had the job. No questions asked. They asked for all of my personal info. Instead of giving it to them, I had fun with them. I acted overly enthusiastic and started rapid-fire asking questions. They were, I'm guessing, taken aback. They said they'd be in touch later. Yeah. THEY wanted off the hook. I was like: No!! Wait!!!
They cut out of there. It's sick because if I was naiive and desperate, they probably would have scammed me. If all these scammers died tomorrow, I'd throw a party. You're invited! Bring chips!
They tried to scam me with the exact same thing I never used the money because I knew it was a scam and boom it bounced
Wow, this actually happened to me this past week! Someone posed as an HR person from CVS for a remote position I saw online. Yup, they even sent me an "offer letter" in the email along with emailing me a "check" to purchase various computer and software equipment. A $3700 dollar check was sent to my email and I knew this was a scam attempt! BEWARE!
As with all scams, my initial thought is ‘who in the hell would be stupid enough to fall for this’… but then I’m reminded of a few people I know, very smart people from a tech background, who have fallen for similar scams.
People get desperate, and people with degrees and long years of professional work don't even consider working in stores and restaurants to scrape by (understandable, since such work simply has one still needing a different job).
Many people who have had long employment in good companies assume that they will get treated well and that the company is not out to fleece them. Then comes the fleece.
These scammers practice “ looking legit”
being smart and being street smart is not the same thing
Guess how GTA 6 ip got hacked? T😊hese scammers are absolutely ruthless
Facts!
Fundamentally, a job is about an employer transferring money to the employee. The moment a prospective "employer" asks me to shell out money for a job, I'm immediately thinking SCAM.
It´s a scam, no employer would let you pay for the equipment for the job
in the past it was pretty transparent; no reasonable employer would allow WFH arrangements for fresh recruits.
post covid, however, these scams can now hide among a myriad of legitimate employment ads.
Hmm, I highly doubt your first statement about no reasonable employer allowing for WFH arrangements for fresh recruits in the past. Primarily because I was hired by very large company that doesn't provide the greatest of benefits, but they didn't have a probationary period before things like being able to work from home on occasion were allowed, so I imagine that companies that value their employees properly would have no issues with providing fresh recruits WFH setups before COVID.
@@nsshurtz Guess I shouldn't have spoken in absolutes.
I applied to an online tutoring company on Indeed. Went through an interview process and was hired. The contract looked typical as well, as was the hourly pay.This company set up my tutoring schedule and asked for information so they can direct deposit my pay. After that I heard nothing from them! No links or software to use to tutor. Fortunately, my bank is really really small and does not approve anyone to withdraw money from my account unless I tell them it is ok. This tutoring company tried to drain my bank account. 😖
Imagine if you were at a job already and gave your 2 weeks! :(
Ohhhh I almost fell for that one, teaching Chinese kids English…no thanks
Yeah, they ask for id too. They want everything on a person so that they can fleece them. Glad they didn't t get you.
Hi there! Heads up - I received similar fraud emails yesterday from "Amazon" and unfortunately they somehow created real Amazon email addresses and JDs too, but thanks to you and this video, I knew what nuances to look for. It's baffling how realistic this scam is including their sophisticated targeting. I'm happy to send you a screen grab of the email so you have it in your back pocket. Let me know, and thanks again for ALL your help! Stay safe out there folks.
They can't create real amazon emails. You need better email client, which shows you all information about the sender. Many new email clients hide this information.
Yes they are doing this now as well. Most of these scams are not that easy to catch anymore but there are still major red flags and most of them involve actually asking for money.
The crazy thing is I worked at Amazon Fresh and their interview process was completely contactless. I never spoke to a person, never had any type of formal interview just a test and then some interview questions to answer and then an email letting me know I was hired. I was sent some links for training to complete before reporting on my first day. I didn't actually connect with a person until I showed up to start at amazon fresh and the entire process was completely legit but it wasn't until I actually started that I felt comfortable I wasn't being scammed. Strangest hiring process ever.
@@beautifulinfinidee7233 very interesting.
Brian, I noticed right away upon reading your attached transcript of the interview that there were several grammatical errors throughout, such as extra spaces between words, lowercase letters where there should have been capitalized letters, such as ms excel, ms word, etc. At one point in the interview, Stacy tells Mary that if hired she'd be working on a team, then later on asks her if she prefers working on a team or independently. (?). Just a lot of info that didn't make sense...that's the first thing that would have made me ? that whole interview..
Look for misspellings and wordiness of the English language. No legit company will tell you to go out and buy equipment. I WFH since 2014. Not once did a company tell me to purchase equipment with their check. Red Flag 🚩 for sure!
Absolutely. I WFH as well. I do use my own equipment but the company was not involved in that purchase. Had the computer already just needed a good headset I did get scam emails when I was searching for a job.
Although legit companies will ask for you to have specific equipment before you get the job. (Computer requirements, headset, etc...)
@@prissypants6601
where do you work from home?
I’m trying to do the same but it feels impossible
Never ever mix you money with any company money.
*VortexTrace* , your efforts in fighting these scammers are truly commendable!
We must do everything we can to shield the elderly and the public from these deceitful individuals. You're a true hero...
A bank can reverse a check as much as 30 days after depositing it. So it can look like it clears and then the money "taken back" by the bank a month later.
Correct. Counterfeit checks often contain account numbers and routing information of legitimate companies... fraud is usually caught later when account is being reconciled
This is what people don't understand, it called stop payment. Years ago, when in the helicopter business I only excepted certified checks and waited for them to clear or had the bank clear the check manually by calling the issuer bank and telling them to clear the check. I learned the hard way back then.
It’s really sad people fall for this. This is a recycled technique used in real estate too.
People should refrain from working for a company that can’t coordinate their own office supplies or asks for $ upfront with promise of reimbursement. Huge red flag!!!
2:30 some part of me really really believed that COVID, that rare event that affected everyone, will unify humanity.
Alas, no.
plagues have happened countless times throughout the course of history and none of them have brought humanity together.
there’s a war and scammers found a way to exploit it and scam people out of their money
I got a job that was a legitimate work from home offer just after the onset of the pandemic. I interviewed online through zoom, was hired about a week later, and had a laptop, two large monitors, a keyboard, mouse and docking station sent straight to my home. No "you buy the equipment" nonsesne. I did buy a cheap desk, but that's it.
It's a great job (I still have it), and I have all the perks of working from home. My commute consists of walking from the living room to the office space I have set up in the spare bedroom. My wife and daughter both bring me (too many) plates of food throughout the day. My dog occasioinally comes in the room and starts hopping up and closing the laptop with her nose because she wants attention. And the pay is pretty good too. The legit opportunities are out there.
Hi, Can I know please the name of the company you're working for? I am passing through the same experience, I am supposed to start to work the following monday but I am still skeptical is too good to be true
SCAM
Another scammer tell is the use of free email accounts. Be super careful of any potential employer approaching you from a gmail account. Ask them to resend their email through the company's domain account. A legit employer won't have any problem with this request. If they can't or won't, don't engage with them any further.
In the beginning of the pandemic, I had one of these interviews from a LinkedIn post. There were many red flags from the email address to the time/speed they contacted me, but I still went ahead with the interview. A less than a handful of questions in, it was clear that the other party was either a bot or going off a script because they kept asking questions while I was trying to ask why the job isn't posted on their official site.
Yup, pretty freaking sad for them to take advantage of people trying to better themselves and find better work, especially, as you said, right after/during these last few years. Disgusting.
They attempted this scam on me. It was all well and good until I got a "job offer" with no more than a phone call varying that my email and location were correct; it was way too easy to get this "job"
They sent me the "job offer" that basically outlined the same details as mentioned in the article (pay is this much, training schedule will involve setting up your home office etc)
At this point, I looked more into it, and found out that the email address they used did NOT use the exact same extension as legitimate emails from that company.
My big tip is to VERIFY that the job posting/person is legit. Look up their name and email and make sure they are accurate and related to the company. And if something feels wrong, it almost certainly is!
This happened to me last summer. I have to say it was an interesting experience and I almost fell for parts of it but they were paying way too much for the job.
Someone tried this scam on me last week. I caught it very quickly, blocked and deleted.
Are there still checks available in banks? WOW! I haven't used checks in more than 15 years... personally or professionally.
Been seeing them using WhatsApp in Canada. Lot of this on Indeed. Looks like a great job, promises remote, uses the name of a company you would know and asks for an interview on whatsapp.
Thanks for the info. I usually do some research on the individuals that have contacted me online along with the company to see if anyone has anything negative about them.
I get approached by companies wanting to interview me via Google Hangouts at least once a month. When I ask them to call me, they never do. There are a TON of folks out there looking to steal money from *unemployed workers*. What the hell kind of people are these? The lowest of the freakin' low.
Very few jobs require you to pay out of pocket for job related items, but those are usually along the lines like footwear like steel toed boots which are things a job seeker would reasonably already have.
And some clothing, in case they wanna zoom call you
So funny, hehehehehe@@sebas8225
I just went through this. I don't think enough people know this is going on today.
You are correct
Praise the Lord and Heavenly father as I thank him and you for this video and the comment section as you guys just help save me from getting scammed
Hi Bryan,
In my former job, I processed payments and refunds. Whenever someone requested a refund that was paid for by check, it was our policy that we had to wait six weeks for the check to clear before issuing the refund. Have a blessed day.
Thank God I looked into this before doing anything damaging! Thank you for laying out how the scam works as I was able to instantly identify I was wasting my time.
I sent in a resume a few years ago to what I thought was a bank (probably wasn't). I got an email back saying I was to call them and I was given a phone number. I called the number and told the lady who answered I was told to call this number and I had applied for the position. She said that in order to go to the next step in the interview process I would need to have all my money, RRSP, etc. in their bank "so we can monitor your finances". I hadn't even gotten to any interview yet and there was no guarantee even if I did all that I would get the job. Well, I declined for two reasons: I had some money in one bank and some in another, neither were the bank in question. And then I also thought - your employer monitoring your finances - what could possibly go wrong?? LOL In hindsight I believe I dodged a huge bullet as this probably was not even a bank and if I had put my money into the "account" they wanted they probably would have taken it and run.
I've been on job market for the last 3 weeks and have 4 of these scam attempts. I almost fell for it the first time around.
Stephen just like you did, learn to listen, they usually tell off on themselves. The scammer did not even come close because the (Cheap) me knows better. FYI you want to send me a check with my name to purchase your equipment? Are you insane? I may be cheap but I am sure not crazy. Its sad that people don't have anything else better to do in life. But like my Grandad use to say be careful Life will find you out. Good luck on your search stay smart stay vigilant you will get what you are looking for.
Was in a similar situation but they told me I had to get a full health check before I could start and obviously the company couldn't pay for it with their reason being if I was 'unhealthy' to work, they would've wasted their money. Best part is they promised to send me the offer letter by the next day before I would go for the health check the following week.
The letter never came and there was no response from the employer.
Also, another red flag was they were trying to promise me senior position with high salary (job advertised was junior position with market price salary) due to my qualifications and they were 'impressed' with me during interview.
I've gotten these scams three times. Each time they request that I download and use Signal for the interview. I did it the first time but stopped the "interview" when they listed the software and hardware I would need. What I found most bemusing was the position was remote supporting another state, but I would be required to buy a $2000 laser printer
I almost fell into the bud light car wrap scam. Red flag was the Guy told me to call right before I deposit the check. Better yet when you are standing outside. I then looked it up found all the people that have been scanned. This is the exact same way.
I was approached a couple times by companies using similar methods. In each case, you have to ask yourself why a company is doing things in a way that is out of the ordinary. Why would they send you a check instead of just shipping you the required equipment? If in doubt, just ask. If the answer doesn't make sense, run away as quickly as possible, then report it to the platform they used to contact you. Also look up the person who contacted you to see if the person works for them.
Yeah, encountered something similar twice; once it happened to my wife, once was directed to me: fully-text interview (SMS/E-mail with Word attachments) and the BIG RED FLAG was the interviewer was saying I had to buy new equipment for them.
I think you are so fabulous and I wish more recruiters were like you. Trying to take advantage of someone that needs a job is pretty low! Most people know to never buy their own equipment, a typical company would order it for you. But some people are less experienced and I could see how this could happen. Shame!
I've been through this. I hung up on the Google chat thing they had set up. As soon as he talked Bank info I was gone. Gone Gone Gone. I said we don't talk about that until I get legit paperwork ect. They didn't scam me!
I've adopted a new rule for myself while communicating with recruiters. If I detect an Indian accent, I cease all contact.
Do your best to scam the scammers, nothing more satisfying than winding them up or even using their own scam against them.
Thank you for this video. We knew something was off about this interview process. It was beat for beat how you described only using Macy’s as a front. Beware!
Some of these random scam companies would randomly ask you to join a telegram chat! that is a scam! Also don't respond to texts or emails out of blue of a company that you never applied to!
Wow 😳. Thanks for the heads up
Informative. I had a friend experience this, it was disappointing. I do challenge the thought/categorization of names as ‘normal sounding’. It is laced with bias and not relevant in my view. Thank you for increasing awareness of this unfortunate practice.
Couple of months ago I applied for job for remote data entry. A "recruiter" contacted me and set up.an interview through Google chat - posed as a legit company. Wanted to send money to my bank account for me get equipment from their "preferred vendots" . I asked what was my responbilirt regarding that equipment if I decided to discontinue the job - would I be responsible for paying that back. Woman interviewing me via chat kept avoiding the question. Also wanted me to get equipment that nothing to do with data entry (I.e. bar code printer etc)
I ended the interview - too sketchy.
I had a small company try to not reimburse me for flight and hotel to come to the interview. Ignored my emails for a month, when I threatened small claims and pointed out I'd add the cost of flying in for the small claims court date, they paid. Claimed the only guy who could sign checks had been on vacation for a month
Shady... but likely operating with no capital.
This also highlights the consumer benefits of using your credit card for purchases. Since the office equipment was never delivered, it would be easy to contact the CC company and get the charges reversed.
I actually had a company get free work from me. They asked me to create an seo audit for a "sample" website.
Turns out that site was actually a customer and they tried to get free ideas to then use on their client.
Basically LEGIT companies are using remote positions to get free work.
... but I suppose they aren't really that legit if they're scamming you of your time and ability.
This is so unfortunate. I’m in the medical field looking for other opportunities so far I’ve only come across $20 hr or SCAM companies
i want to thank you for sharing this. I just got a check from a weird guy pretended he is a hiring manager for a company. he overnighted this check via FedEx to me .
Thank you, I hadn't heard about this scam.
Happened to me too but I got suspicious during the 'interview' - the questions were really weirdly phrased and the " "interviewer " acted unprofessionally - getting impatient, annoyed, trying to intimidate me and rush me to answer faster. When he then mention the equipment and asked me for my address to send the cheque I was sure what I am dealing with. Very sad that people like that exist. I was lucky, the behavior of the scammer gave him away fast but it left me very desolate afterwords for a long while. Losing a job makes you feel hopeless anyway and then you enter unfriendly world of fraud and scams.
The time I encountered this scam it all fell apart for the scammer at the point when they spoke of the materials required for the role. In my case it was just a few software licenses to be acquired with the check, but here's where it all fell apart. Literally everything the scammer was asking me to requisition were things I already had and when I pointed that out, I got ghosted immediately.
I'm at a point now that I do not like to deal with recruiters at all.
I once got into a similar scam. The difference was I decided to keep all the money myself, never sending it back or spending otherwise😂😂😂
I just got the exact same approach. Skype interview is as far as I went before ghosting them and blocking texts. Thanks for the heads up! I might have fallen for it or at least wasted more time on it if I had not seen this.
Another thing you can look for as well is the punctuation and spelling!
Just imagen what an intelligent scammer is able to do. When will we be able to realize we are being scammed on all levels, all from buying a second hand car and all the way up to the top level in politics?
So dam true
In a recent twist, I have heard that sometimes these are not phony checks but real check illegally written against real peoples accounts. So they actually can clear and then be demanded back weeks later if and when the actual owner of the account notices the missing money. Meanwhile, the "company" asks you to provide a check back to them for any surplus. So you have already sent them 2 or 3 hundred dollars.
Well I got scammed and sent $67 for nothing. Pissed off right now. Sick of these scammers.
Also, I agree that no self-respecting employer would ever use this tactic to interview - after all, someone could pretend to be you interviewing for the job. The employers would be conning themselves in that case.
If a potential employer requires you to pay ANY money as part of the offer...IT'S A SCAM.
Funny, I just had this similar situation, but I flagged it back day one. They are in the wait on check phase and I was interviewed on MS Teams. Cant wait to get it to report the fraud to my bank
These sorts of scams will continue until aggressive counterstrike (strike back scams) software or processes are developed.
This has happened to me, but not for a remote work job. One was for a modeling gig, but I had to buy particular things in a VERY short period of time. I also received a check via instant delivery, which i was told was to buy the required things with, and then would be compensated further after the work began. I think this was over a weekend, so I knew the check wouldn't clear before the "supposed" gig started. It just seemed "wrong" to me, so I ripped up the check and moved on.
I dodged a couple of scans like this recently from indeed and career builder job postings. I figured out the scam and pulled out in time.
I literally almost fell for it I googled about the company and did a yt search and saw this video thank goodness
I'm a concept artist. I get a scam very similar to this emailed to me once a week. They email as a legit game company offering a job. I almost fell for it the first time, they had me interview over telegram. Once some red flags came up (like training. This isn't wendy's. It's for concept art, I already know how to draw lol) and they pressured me to buy equipment or send them bank info or something. By this point my alarm bells were going off and I told them I wasn't comfortable with doing that and they stopped messaging me. I e-mailed the company privately and they confirmed it was not them. I still get job offer emails like that first one though.
Delete them don't even open them.
I encountered a scam similar to this in April 2023. I was offered the job on the basis of filling out a Word document with answers to questions. I replied "Not interested" because I was sure it was a scam. Within 24 hours, someone made fraudulent purchases with my credit card. Fortunately, I caught it right away and my credit union was able to dispute the charges successfully.
Yes! As a rule I go to the source
Wow! I have been working for the last 4.5+ years and still there, no plans of leaving, but started looking for remote jobs for the extra income. Just 3 days ago, responded to a recruiter wanting to do an interview using Skype. Which turned into skype text messaging for 2 hours. Many almost identical questions, got hired, and told I would receive a check to cover equipment costs, etc, etc. I started seeing red flags, so went to my bank manager to get his opinion which was very much like mine.
THEN, took it a step further and went to BBB website, which has a scam checker link, and LO and BEHOLD!, there is that same company, with almost identical details as the ones I experienced, and it was reported to BBB the same day I got hit! Too good to be true is right!
Yes, this happened to me. I was contacted by a recruiter, interviewed through a messaging app-with real interview questions. Someone called my house posing as the HR manager of a company to offer me the "job". But, the voice sounded different than the face on the website. I didn't accept the "job".
I am so glad my red flags started going up - I have been hit by 7 of these today. I called one a scammer and his reply was, "Calm your sh*t down. We are starting up in the US."
Someone tried to scam me this week like this. What employer pays an employee before they start work? No interview and they hired me immediately.
I actually fell for that scam, too. Luckily I was able to call the bank in order to cancel the check but I had to get a different card because of it. It's these types of jobs that make me fearful that I might get scammed again and I've been trying to look for a job since I graduated college 4 years ago.
I went through a scam almost exactly like this a few months ago, only the interview was via Telegram. Same exact script, but what caught my eye was the "interviewer's" rude and abrasive demeanor, followed by "you need to purchase a laptop and all the software through this vendor." The entire process from start to finish felt extremely off, almost to a comical degree. I've never gone through an interview via text, plus I've never just been hired on the spot like that. I wanted to see where this scam went, so I indulged them for a while longer before calling them out.
That happened to me today, they are supposedly sending a check next week lol😂
I encountered this scam. They were a little more professional then as described here.
I saw several red flags, received the check, and simply did not proceed.
It smelled way too fishy.
Why do people need to spend so much to buy furniture for a remote position? I work remotely full time and I don't need any furniture. Just a laptop, which the company gave to me, and a desk and chair.
This is happening to me frequently. What do they get from this?! Who would use their own money and what thrill would a scammer get out of tricking a job seeker spending their money? I always look for the location of the company and if a business search doesn’t come back legitimate I ignore them and report the email.
I got scammed by thinking if the scammer direct deposit the funds it would be ok. No the scammer did a mail check deposit and 2 days after it bounced. At this point I had purchased the laptop and printer and did other tasks as the so called position Administrative Assistant. So, I lost almost $9,000 !!!! I hope this helps other people not to get scammed!!😢
There is a scam ad for Greentree Community Church right now. I called them because it was strange. They were shocked!
Thank you so much I was about to fall for this type of scam
Had on yesterday I knew something was up ! They getting good though
You should never have to buy equipment for a job.
True. If you are worth hiring, then you are worth the equipment, and your employer does not want you doing its work on your equipment. Employment is trust, and if you can deserve even $2000 a month as pay, you can be trusted to return the equipment if the job ends or you are fired.
@@paulbrower3297 Whenever I was issued company equipment... laptops cell phones etc, I signed an acknowledgement the equipment was my responsibility and would be returned if my employment ended... never asked for money upfront.
Yes this is very true
I have Benn laid off from EPAM anywhere which was permanent WFH
oh god. I was going to interview a place that wanted to chat interview through google chat. good thing i ignored.
Thanks for sharing. Love your content, it helps
Had a similar scam try to hire me. They did the interview via Google chat, but it was a remote position for a company that was in my state. After getting “hired” I called the company’s number and neither person who reached out worked for the company. Their Linked In profiles disappeared soon after, and I ignored further communication
One of my relatives was contacted by one of these scammers but she realized it was a scam when they wanted her bank account information. The scammer portrayed himself as a representative of a legitimate company that was currently in the process of recruiting new employees.
If you end up paying for the equipment with your own credit card, you can just dispute the charge, right? And wouldn't these people be caught pretty quickly, since Mastercard/Visa knows who the company or person was who received the payment??
Description of scam doesn’t start until 3:20
Ironically, in my laptop, there is an "ad" saying "We need writers-$30-$45hr.
This looks pretty scammy to me!
This happened to me back in 2011, except I probably would have been the one printing those fake checks and taking the fall. They sent me money through PayPal to buy a special check printer and check stock paper. They wanted me to go to Office Depot and buy the printer immediately so I could start work that same day lol. I was suspicious and didn't buy anything. My PayPal account was immediately frozen but that was cleared up pretty quickly. I did end up getting a legitimate remote job a couple weeks later though.
They tried to pull this on me today. Everything matched the video’s tells: interview only by IM, telling you they’ll send you a check, asking you for how you prefer your pay…. I knew I had to ditch everything when I noticed the initial email came from a Gmail account and the recruiter’s email differed from the one for the same person on the website they provided 🤦♀️ .
I recently went through a scam very similar to this. My bank account is now closed for a month due to these bastards. I hope they burn in hell.
Thank for this video. Very informative. Much appreciated.