BBB Tip of the Week: Voicemail from an ‘old friend’? It’s a job scam
Nothing makes us feel better than getting a voice mail from an “old friend,” right? But what if the name and voice don’t sound familiar? That’s because it’s really a scam. Scammers are crafty with their voice mails in this con that pretends to be a message from a friend. This provides scammers the opportunity to push a phony job offer that could result in you providing your identity and your money. Employment scams were the riskiest of scams in 2018, according to the BBB Scam Tracker Risk Report. Scammers use a variety of approaches, and this is one of the cleverest.
How the scam works
You receive a voice mail that sounds casual, yet professional. The person claims to have spoken with you some time ago. They want to “catch up” by discussing your desire to work online. They tell you they’ve already earned thousands working from home and you can, too. All you need do is visit their website. The truth is, you’ve never spoken to this person before.
From this point, there are a variety of ways the scam can play out. If you visit the website, you may unwittingly download malware onto your computer, giving scammers access to sensitive information. In another version of the scam, con artists may offer you a job through their website and then ask you to give them your personal information for a “background check” or so they can set up direct deposit. In another version, scammers ask you to pay for training before you begin your new job.
Whatever the scam tactics, one thing is certain. Your “old friend” will disappear once they have your information or money and you won’t have the promised job because it never existed.
How to protect yourself
Be wary of unusual procedures. An on-the-spot job offer is a red flag. Legitimate companies will want to talk to you before they hire. In addition, be cautious if an employer asks you to pay for some kind of service before you begin your job.
Watch out for unsolicited phone calls. Be careful if you can’t remember talking to a person who claims to know you in a voice message.
Double-check job positions before applying. Make sure the open position is legitimate. Visit the company’s official website and look for information about the job in question. If necessary, call the office to ensure the job offer is real. If a Google search reveals the same open position on multiple websites or in multiple cities, it’s most likely a scam.
For more information
For more ways to protect yourself against job scams, see and BBB.org/RiskReport.
If you’ve fallen victim to an employment scam, help others protect themselves by reporting your experience on the BBB.org/ScamTracker.