Employment & Job Scams (Task-Based and Boss Impersonation)

Greetings, Scam Wise readers! 👔🖥️ This edition is all about scams that target us in the workplace or during the job hunt. Whether you’re looking for a side gig online or you’re an employee who might get a weird request from “the boss,” employment scams are big business for fraudsters. We’ll cover two main angles: task-based job scams (those “easy money from home” schemes) and boss impersonation scams (when someone pretends to be your CEO/manager to con you). Let’s roll up our sleeves and learn how to spot these workplace wolves in sheep’s clothing.

Scam Prevention Tips for Job Seekers and Employees

• If a job sounds too good to be true, it is: Be wary of any work-from-home or online job that promises high pay for very little effort, or no interview required. Common scams include “get paid $300 a day to like YouTube videos” or “mystery shopper gets to keep expensive products.” They often ask you to pay upfront for “training” or equipment – legit jobs pay you, they don’t charge you . Also, no real job is going to hire you via Telegram or WhatsApp without even a live interview. Slow down and research the company. If you can’t find a solid web presence or the info is minimal (or lots of complaints), steer clear.
• Never send money or goods as part of your job: A huge red flag is any “employer” that sends you a check and asks you to buy supplies or send money elsewhere, or asks you to receive and forward packages (often stolen goods). These are often fake check scams – the check will bounce, and you’ll be on the hook with your bank. Or reshipping scams where you unknowingly traffic stolen items. A legitimate company will handle its own finances and logistics; they won’t use a new hire’s personal bank account or home address for company business.
• Verify any strange requests “from the boss”: If you get an email or text from a higher-up at work asking for something unusual – especially if it involves money (like buying gift cards, transferring funds, or providing sensitive info) – pause and verify . Scammers often use spoofed emails resembling a CEO’s address or even hack a real business email account. They typically urge secrecy (“I’m in a meeting, just do this ASAP and don’t phone me”). Always double-check by calling that person directly on a known number or confirming in person. No good boss will be upset at an employee for verifying a weird request out of caution.
• Use official channels for communications: If you’re job hunting, try to keep communications within the job platform (Indeed, LinkedIn, etc.) until you’re sure the employer is legit. Scammers often try to move you to personal email or messaging apps quickly – so there’s no oversight . Within companies, be cautious if a supposed internal email is coming from a Gmail/Yahoo address or with slight misspellings in the domain (like @micros0ft-co.com). Your company likely uses official domains for internal emails. When in doubt, involve IT or a supervisor before responding to odd communications.
• Guard personal/financial info until you’re certain: A real employer will eventually need things like your Social Security number (for tax forms) or bank info (for direct deposit), but only after you’re officially hired and have met them or had formal interviews. Scammers running job cons will ask for that stuff upfront (to steal your identity or funds). They might also ask you to complete a “credit report” or “background check” on a site they send – which is actually harvesting your data. Don’t fill out sensitive forms unless you have confirmed the employer’s legitimacy. You can use resources like the company’s official phone line to ask if that request is normal.

Real-Life Scam Example

Task Scam: Meet “Anna,” who saw an online ad for a “social media influencer assistant” job. The gig claimed she could earn $200/day by promoting products on Instagram – no experience needed. She applied and quickly got a “job offer” email. They sent her a $3,000 check to buy a professional camera for her work, instructing her to deposit it, keep $500 as a sign-on bonus, use $2,000 to buy the camera from a “vendor” they specified, and the rest was for other supplies. Red flags galore, right? But Anna, excited and inexperienced, deposited the check and followed instructions – she wired ~$2,000 to the “vendor” for the camera. A week later, the check bounced as fake , her bank held her responsible, and the “employer” disappeared. She lost two grand. This is a classic fake check job scam . According to the FTC, job scams were the second-highest fraud category for money lost in 2022 , with a median loss of about $2,000 – eerily similar to Anna’s case.

Boss Impersonation Scam: Consider a mid-sized company where the accounts payable clerk gets an email that looks like it’s from the CEO: “Hi, I’m about to hop on a plane, need you to urgently wire $50,000 to this new vendor for a project. I’ll fill you in later, but it must go out today. Here’s the wiring info…” The email address was one letter off from the CEO’s real one. The clerk, not wanting to disturb the CEO (who the email said was unreachable by phone), initiates the wire. Money goes to a scammer’s account in Hong Kong, gone for good. This actually happened in multiple instances – one international case involved a CEO’s voice being cloned to reinforce the phony email (we covered voice scams in Issue 6). The FBI calls this type of fraud Business Email Compromise (BEC) , and it has caused billions in losses globally. The scenario often involves urgent, secret requests from high execs, targeting employees who can move money.

Another Angle – Gift Card Boss Scam: A newer employee gets a text apparently from her manager: “I’m in a long meeting but need your help. We’re doing employee appreciation gifts – can you run out and buy $2000 in Apple gift cards? I’ll reimburse. I’d do it myself but I’m tied up.” Wanting to impress, the employee buys the cards. The “manager” asks her to scratch off and send photos of the codes. Once she does, the scam is revealed when she later mentions it and her real manager is baffled. Those gift card codes were quickly sold online by the scammer. This con is rampant – because gift cards are untraceable, it’s a favorite way for scammers to receive funds. Real managers virtually never ask staff to purchase large numbers of gift cards on personal funds with no warning.

Scam Radar: What’s Trending Now?

“Gamified” task scams on the rise: The FTC warned about a wave of task scams where victims are lured into doing small tasks (like liking posts, reviewing products) and see fake earnings accumulate on a dashboard. They let you withdraw a little to build trust, then require a “membership fee” or a deposit to unlock higher earnings – that’s when they steal your money. This is also called a “pig butchering” scheme in some contexts. In the first half of 2024 alone, Americans reported $220 million lost to job scams , a lot being these “gig” platforms. So beware those “Make $100 in 5 minutes” apps or sites, especially if they ask you to invest your own money.

LinkedIn scams targeting professionals: Scammers are impersonating recruiters on LinkedIn, offering great jobs but then asking for upfront training fees or equipment purchases. LinkedIn has acknowledged an uptick in fake profiles pretending to be HR reps. Always confirm any recruiter’s identity – e.g., check the company’s site or call the company’s main line to verify the person works there. And be cautious if a “recruiter” uses very casual email addresses or wants to move off-platform quickly.

Boss scams and AI: As noted, AI voice cloning has entered the chat – there was a case where an AI-generated voice of a company’s president called a finance officer to authorize a transfer. Also, deepfake videos and fake profile pictures can bolster a scammer’s credibility in video calls or profile photos in job contexts. It’s still rare, but be aware that just seeing someone’s face over Zoom is not 100% proof if you don’t know them (for high-stakes stuff, like major financial moves, it’s okay to impose further verification).

Economic shifts: Scammers watch job market trends. With many looking for remote work, they exploit that (e.g., the surge in remote job listings means more fake remote jobs). Also, with layoffs in tech, phishing emails offering “placement services” for a fee are popping up. Essentially, wherever there’s employment anxiety or opportunity, scammers seize it.

The silver lining: law enforcement is aggressively pursuing large-scale BEC (boss scam) rings. Several arrests have been made internationally. And job sites are improving scam detection (e.g., Indeed and LinkedIn claim to be catching more fake listings before they go live). But plenty still slip through, so our personal scam sense remains crucial.

Extra Protection: Aura for Job Hunters & Employees

Aura’s suite can help mitigate some of the risks from these scams:

• Identity & Credit Monitoring: If you inadvertently give a scam employer your SSN, driver’s license, or fill out a bogus background check, that info could be misused for identity theft or loans in your name. Aura keeps an eye on your identity and financial accounts, alerting you if someone tries to open credit lines or your info shows up in shady places. Early detection means you can freeze credit and stop the damage.
• Safe Browsing & Antivirus: Many job scams direct you to phishing websites (like a fake company portal or a credit report site) that can infect your device. Aura’s antivirus and anti-phishing features can block known malicious sites or payloads. It’s an extra layer of defense if you accidentally click a bad link in that “job offer” email.
• Financial Transaction Monitoring: If you’re an employee with access to company finances, consider setting up extra verification at your bank for large transfers. While Aura primarily monitors personal finances, being security-minded at work (like using two-person approval for wires) is key. For personal banking, Aura can alert you to large withdrawals or transfers from your accounts, which might happen if a scammer got into your account after a BEC scam. Quick alerts help you contact the bank immediately.
• Password Manager & 2FA: Aura includes a password manager and can guide you on enabling 2-factor authentication. Why is this relevant? Because one way boss scammers succeed is by breaching actual business email accounts through weak passwords. Ensuring you and your workplace use strong, unique passwords (and 2FA) prevents criminals from taking over real email threads to lend credibility to their scams. While you might not control the whole company’s policy, you can lead by example with good security on accounts you control, and perhaps encourage your team to do the same.
• White Glove Fraud Support: If you do become a victim of a job or boss scam, it can be complex to unwind (especially if identity theft or financial loss is involved). Aura’s experts can help you step-by-step in recovery – whether it’s filing reports, working with banks, or even navigating employer-related fraud issues. It’s like having a personal fraud assistant during a crisis, which can be invaluable when you’re stressed.

Considering strengthening your shield? Aura’s toolkit covers many bases – check it out to see if it’s right for your personal and family protection. Especially if you’re job searching (when we tend to hand out info more), it’s good to have that net.

Quick Takeaways

• Research job offers: Verify companies on your own (official site, employee LinkedIn profiles, etc.). Interview via phone/video and watch for inconsistencies. If asked for money upfront, walk away.
• Payment for a job should be after you work, not before: Any scheme where you deposit checks, buy things, or transfer money as part of your “job” is a scam. Real employers don’t operate that way.
• Double-check any financial request from a superior: Even if the email looks legit, a quick verbal confirmation can save your company tens of thousands. In-office, that might mean popping into their office. Remote, call or use a known Teams/Slack channel.
• Gift cards = No: We’ve said it before, we’ll say it again – no legitimate scenario at work involves urgently buying large gift card amounts and sending codes. That’s a scam every time.
• Empower your workplace: Talk about these scams in your team meetings. Encourage a culture where it’s OK to verify instructions. For job seekers, share stories of scams with peers so everyone’s aware. Information is power.

Great job arming yourself with knowledge. In the next issue, we’ll cover government grant and loan scams – those “free money from the government” offers – so stay tuned. Until then, stay vigilant and keep those scam sensors on at work and beyond!