Work From Home Scam

Work from home jobs have become increasingly popular over the past few years. What’s not to like? Working from the comfort of your own home, flexible hours, eliminating the frustration that comes with commuting, and reducing your gas bill. Some of the offers you’ll see may seem too good to be true… and that’s because they are.

Scammers are using the appeal of a work from home lifestyle to their advantage by placing fake job openings in order to get your personal information.

Job openings could be posted on sites like Indeed, Glassdoor, LinkedIn, Craigslist, or they may reach out via letter in the mail, email, social media, and more. Look out for poor grammar and spelling errors. No reputable company would be using a communication that’s riddled with errors.

Now, most job applications do request personal information, just make sure to vet the company before doing so. It’s a huge red flag if you cannot find any information about a company online. If you find an opening on a job-seeking platform (like Indeed), look up the company’s website and consider applying directly from their site.

If a company sends you a check before you do any sort of work, do not deposit it. Depositing a fake check will result in fees from your financial institution. Fraudsters will likely request proof of deposit and then ask you to send a portion of the money back to them. Do not do this. Once you wire your money, it’s gone for good.

Remember: When in doubt – stop what you’re doing, hang up, and call us at 800.666.8811. or visit one of our retail center locations.

Here is an example letter of a Work from Home scam.