A new study released by the Better Business Bureau finds the riskiest scam that has impacted people who can least afford it is the employment scam. Those scams were labeled the “riskiest” scams in 2018 and 2019.
The latest study released by the Better Business Bureau, finds that nearly three quarters of those who lose money to employment scams are already in financial crisis, and do not have enough income to cover their monthly bills. Here’s Troy Baker with the BBB of Western Michigan.
”And what we find in this study is that the people who are losing money are the ones who can least afford it. They already can’t make ends meet. Or and, people who are unemployed. More than half were unemployed. These are people who are looking for work, think they have an opportunity to help their family and then they end up getting scammed.”
The BBB says with the current unemployment levels, scammers are looking to take advantage of those looking for work, especially those seeking opportunities to work from home. Baker says there are numerous cases hitting residents right here in West Michigan.
“We see a lot of them. So, there’s the woman who thought she was hired to re package items. And when payday comes, there’s no paycheck. In reality, these are packages that were bought with stolen credit cards and she’s an unwitting middleman. She’s part of the scam at that point.”
The BBB report shows that some scammers impersonated well known retailers like Amazon and Walmart to seem legitimate. The report also highlights those who are most at risk for employment scams.
“People who in financial straits. Young People, are the most likely to fall for this. And then when it comes to the dollar amounts lost, it’s those 65 and older.”
Baker says there was also a spike in those 45 to 55 as well.
The BBB encourages those looking for work to do their homework. For tips on how to avoid employment scams you can to their website at BBB.org/Employmentscams
