BBB Tip of the Week: Beware of job offers from Amazon Cash Websites
It sounds like the perfect job: work at home, make thousands of dollars a month and have a career with a famous corporation. But this new twist on an employment scam is fooling victims into paying hundreds of dollars for a job at Amazon that doesn’t exist. Reports to BBB Scam Tracker about this con have increased steadily this summer.
How the scam works
You receive a voicemail message inviting you to apply for a job at Amazon. Allegedly, the online retailer is hiring dozens of people to list products online, post reviews and do other website work. The position pays well – targets report anything from $20 an hour to $6,000 a month – and you can work from home. Scammers use the names Amazon Cash Website(s), StockRetail.com and WebStoreJobs.com.
You are excited about the opportunity, so you fill out an application online, but there’s a problem, according to BBB Scam Tracker reports. New employees must purchase a $200 “enrollment kit” before they can start work. If you pay up, the scammer will vanish, you’re out the money and the new job never materializes.
As there is a new distribution center for Amazon coming to our area, BBB Northwest and Pacific wants you ensure you have the tools to protect yourself in case you get a phone call from a job scammer.
Spotting the scammer
Be cautious of any job that asks you to share personal information or hand over money. Scammers will often use the guise of running a credit check, setting up direct deposit or paying for training.
Check the business’s website. Scammers frequently post jobs using the names of real companies such as Amazon to lend legitimacy to their cons. Check on the website for the position or call to confirm.
Work at home at your own pace. Always be wary of work-from-home opportunities that are riddled with testimonials. Often the suggestion of real success is misleading. Suggestions that success will come with few hours and limited work is a red flag.
If a job looks suspicious, search for it online. If the result comes up in other cities with the exact same job post, it is likely a scam. In this scam, a designated number of jobs are available and applicants need to act quickly. This high-pressure tactic is another red flag.