Internet scammers have been an issue ever since the World Wide Web came into our lives back in the ’90s and they continue to get more and more creative with their techniques.
Amid what’s been dubbed “the great resignation“—a trend that saw In August 2021, more Americans are going to quit their jobs than any other month in recorded history—internet scammers are posting thousands of fake job ads to steal personal info.
Scam
According to ProPublicaThere are many job openings on Facebook, Indeed, LinkedIn and LinkedIn that promise high-paying jobs. But only if the applicant provides their social security number and a copy of their driver’s license, front and back, to “initiate”The interview process.
“These fraudsters, they’re like a virus. They continue to mutate,” Haywood TalcoveChief executive of LexisNexis Risk Solutions’ government division, which assists federal and state agencies in combating identity theft, is.
How it Happens
An example of the scam comes from Alexandra Mateus Vásquez, who thought she was applying for a graphic designer job with Steak ‘n Shake in December 2020 via an ad on Indeed. When contacted by who she thought was a company representative (through a Gmail account), Vásquez participated in an email interview questionnaire, which she thought was odd.
She continued to answer the questions and she did not stop there. She received an email within a few hours offering the job at $30 an hour. In the email, she was asked to give her address and telephone number in order to receive a formal offer.
The offer letter asked for Vasquez’s social security number when it arrived. Vásquez provided that info before she was invited to a background check via online chat with who she thought was a hiring manager.
Vásquez provided copies of her personal records and documents to verify her identity, including her state ID and green card. She hesitated when they asked for her credit card number. That’s when she got a call from Id.meMultiple states use the identity verification vendor Identity Verification Vendor to safeguard their unemployment insurance programs.
As it turns out, the scammer was using Vásquez’s personal info to file a fraudulent unemployment insurance claim in her name. Experts in fraud say that this is the latest twist to the scam.
What to Look for
These fraudulent job postings are appearing on sites all over the internet–no matter how big or small. A common job posting for an airport shuttle driver is one that offers $2,000 per workweek for a 35-hour week.
Fraudsters have created fake company websites to make it difficult for job seekers to identify the real thing. The only difference is that the phony site will ask applicants to upload copies of their social security card and driver’s license along with their resume.
Pay attention
Blake Hall, chief executive at ID.me, stated that the company does its best to notify users when their identities have been used to apply for unemployment benefits. But ultimately, it’s up to users to look for the scam.
“We will do as much as we can to make it clear that they’ve been scammed,”He said: “but ultimately protecting somebody from themself is a really tall order.”