According to the Federal Trade Commission, consumers reported losing $367 million to job and business opportunity scams in 2022, up 76 percent year over year. The typical victim lost $2,000, in pursuit of a job.
The report highlighted several scam scenarios. “Victim reached out and said that he had fallen victim to a job scam. The victim said that he was attempting to apply for a job online. He said he spoke to people he didn’t feel comfortable with, so he decided to look them up and found out that they used other people’s images. The victim said he gave them his SSN, Driver’s License picture, and address.”
In another example, a victim explained, “I had a potential employer get me in for a virtual interview, and I gave them my name, address and a photo of my I.D. Once the interview was over, I did some digging, and it looks like the company is a scam.”
LinkedIn, where many scammers set up shop, is working to foil the internet thieves. According to its recent community report, the company blocked more than 63 million fake accounts during the second half of 2023. The site also removed more than 108 million pieces of spam and scam content over the same period, per the report.
The job site is “committed to ensuring the platform remains authentic, secure, and easy to use for members,” said Oscar Rodriguez, LinkedIn’s vice president of trust product management, in a statement.
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