Audrey Janse van Rensburg’s Post

Job seekers: Beware! https://lnkd.in/gs6AMHjT Scammers are lurking on LinkedIn and other job sites, posing as “recruiters” for well-known companies. But instead of looking to hire you, they’re really looking to take your money and personal information. It starts with a direct message on a job search site like Indeed or LinkedIn. The “recruiter” says you have exactly the skill set they’re looking for. Next, they’ll email an official-looking invitation for a virtual interview along with a Job Briefing guide that gives you details about your job duties and job benefits. (Did that email come from a personal email, not a company account? That’s a red flag.) After the virtual interview, you get an official-looking offer letter, complete with the company’s name and logo. But after they offer you the job, they’ll push for your money and personal information. You’ll get an invoice (it’s fake) for equipment like a computer they’ll order for you, but tell you to pay for — using cash, Zelle, or PayPal. They promise to reimburse you. But they won’t because it’s a scam. Or, instead, they’ll ask for your personal information, like your driver’s license, Social Security, or bank account number, to fill out “employment paperwork.” And they want it before they’ll answer your questions about the job. But if you share it, they might steal your identity. To spot these scams, know that honest employers will never ask you to pay upfront fees for a job or for equipment. And they won’t ask you to pay them using cash, Zelle or PayPal. Anyone who does is a scammer. To avoid these scams, never give out personal information before doing some research. Contact the company directly using a phone number you know to be legitimate — not one you got from the “recruiter.” Or go to the company’s website. If you can’t confirm the job is real, it could be a scam. The FTC has resources to help you spot job scams. If you spot a scam, report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Hey all. I (almost) got scammed so y'all don't have too. Scams are getting very detailed and in my opinion hard to spot if you don't know where to look. Things that could be obvious to some were things that could be oversighted. 1. Check the email. If a company, that you didn't apply for reaches out to you have a guard up and verify the email its coming from. Sometimes it can be as small as an added letter. Or an Inc at the end of a company name that doesn't belong as it was in my case. (Rothy's vs RothysInc.) If you are unsure about an email at all. Don't respond! Or find a way to verify legitimacy. 2. Cross Reference. Find who your speaking with on LinkedIn. Most likely they have an account and are connected with the company. So if you are unsure if you are being scammed. Ask them to connect on LinkedIn and if they refuse or say they will at a later time. Be firm or Hardstop. Like in my case there was a real profile. However it is my belief now that the scammers were catfishing as Caryn (Margolis) Jellin, JD, PHR, SHRM-CP as they refused to respond when prompted. I've tried to connect and let her know but have not had success yet. 3. Do not do text based interviews. This might be a new thing but its not worth it. If this is the companies offer, push for over video or in person if possible. If its a legit company I doubt they would ever refuse. Not only is it a waste of time with the response waits but its awkward and there is no personality that goes into it which is half of getting hired! 4. Forms. If you did go through the interview and your still unsure. When you get the W2 or W4 form. ENSURE that the companies ID and signature is already signed on the form. Do Not fill out a form with your social security if there is not already information of who your signing it over to on there. Honestly if you have any doubt at all, even if there's an ID, don't fill it out. 5. Never send money!! Never receive money and then send that money to someone else to buy equipment or supplies. No matter what. You either have the company supply you with the materials or you buy them yourself for yourself so the receipt is in your hands and get a reimbursement. Make sure there are invoices and proper documentation that includes both party's information. Especially if its a check!! Checks can bounce after funds are received and leave you with no money and no equipment. Things to do if its too late and they have your info.. to prevent identity fraud. https://lnkd.in/e6p-tFvw Also check with the banks to see their policies on checks and how long to wait to make sure it will not be pulled or bounce. Some banks allow 90 days for issuer to claim and pull it. Do not spend it until your sure its safe. There's so much but I reached limit. Please lookout for scams. Don't let people take advantage and use you! Thankfully all they got was wasting my time (still too much). Good luck and stay safe!!

There has been an increase of how scammers work and now are pretending to be “recruiters” Be aware of those so called “recruiters” claiming to be from the USA and can barely speak English because they are actually from another country like India, Nigeria, Philippines, China, and Middle East. Like other scams, they ask for part or whole birthday and social security number, place of location, citizenship, full name, etc even before any interview or being hired contigent of passing a background check. They say that they need this to build a profile on their system for you. There are also scammers in the USA that do this, but it is much more difficult to charge and arrest those in foreign countries. Many signs of possible identity theft! Also, look at the email. Does the email they used matches the contact information they provide. The worst I’ve gotten was a recruiter using a gmail address as their contact and/or their from email is hidden. The To section has your email hidden, probably because they sent it in BCC email or email is “replaced” by another such as used in distribution list. See if they actually address you by name. This goes for both if they call or send you an email. Some don’t even use the person’s name and just simply say things like Hello, Greetings, I hope this finds you well, etc. If they provide a company’s postal address in the email, check against the actual company’s website contact address, if they have one. Also check using sites like google maps of those addresses. You’ll be surprised to find the address is a broken down house middle of nowhere or office too small to hold the number of employees they say they have. Be aware of companies that don’t have an official corporate address nor phone. Area code of the phone number doesn’t match the postal address associated nor match the number the “recruiter” provided or used. Others are the phone is no longer in service, not answered, nor do they state the company’s name when there is an answer. Be mindful and careful on general job sites like LinkedIn, CareerBuilder, Monster, Diced, Indeed, etc of the personal information you share and what they ask you to fill in. Some ask for Birthday, full “legal” name, and other details that maybe not kept confidential nor should they have. There are ways to report and forward these scams as well as get removed from these type of calls and contacts. The USA federal government has these sights. ftccomplaintassistant.gov donotcall.gov ftc.gov reportfraud.ftc.gov/#/ identitytheft.gov/#/ oig.ssa.gov Federal numbers to call and report Scams: 877-382-4357 Identity Theft: 877-438-4339 Email: electronicfilings@frc.gov Fraud, Theft: oig.oer@ssa.gov Also check your local and state level. For example Colorado has this for identity theft, fraud, and scams colorado.gov/cbi Phone: 855-443-3489 Email: cbi.stoptheft@state.co.us #scams #recuriter #usa

No one is using your Social Security number to commit crimes. It’s a scam. If you ever receive a call from someone claiming to be from the Social Security Administration, it's essential to be cautious. One common scam involves a caller who claims that your name and Social Security number are linked to serious crimes or there is an arrest warrant out for you and that the courts want to seize your bank and retirement accounts. Do not provide any personal information or agree to purchase anything, such as gold, as this is a tactic used by scammers to steal your money. If you receive such a call, it's best to hang up immediately and report the incident to the Federal Trade Commission. It's crucial to remember that the Social Security Administration would never call you to threaten or intimidate you. The Social Security Administration will always communicate with you through the mail, and they will never ask you to disclose your Social Security number over the phone. Be vigilant and protect yourself from these types of scams. It can be a scary experience when someone calls you out of the blue and demands that you go to the bank immediately. It's natural to feel nervous and overwhelmed in such a situation. However, it's important to keep your wits about you and not let the caller push you into making a hasty decision. If you're unsure about the legitimacy of the call, take a moment to do some research before following their instructions. Anyone who asks you to withdraw cash or buy gold is likely trying to scam you. Don't hesitate to report them to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Stay vigilant and protect yourself from these types of scams. If you ever receive a call from someone claiming that someone is coming to your house to pick up valuable items, such as cash or gold, it's crucial that you call the police immediately. This type of elaborate impersonation scheme is designed to rip you off and can lead to serious consequences. To learn more about this and other common imposter scams, be sure to check out How To Avoid Imposter Scams | Consumer Advice (ftc.gov). By staying informed and aware, you can help protect yourself from falling victim to these types of fraudulent schemes. https://lnkd.in/gHfaMJU2

While it would be great to have a second "me" that cleaned the house and handled errands, I am unfortunately continuing to hear that a scam is going around involving a spoof email that includes my name and Bravo's within. PLEASE do not accept an invitation for virtual meetings, phone calls or the like without verifying the individual. Additionally, if you accepted a phone call or virtual meeting with an individual identifying themselves as me, I'd suggest the following: If you receive an unexpected email offering you a job interview with Bravo, please: 1. Don't reply or click any links 2. Report the email to the FTC: https://lnkd.in/dMiV83F 3. File a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center: https://www.ic3.gov/ If you provided any personal information to the scammers, please use the FTC's identity theft resources: https://lnkd.in/etcxXQn Be well, and stay safe!

Do you know how to spot an imposter that is trying to commit fraud on your accounts? If not, here is a good read on how to help identify imposters.

How to protect your parents, family (or yourself) against scam calls and frauds

New Tech Support Scammers Want Your Life Savings. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is looking at a new twist on tech support scams. A warning pops up on your computer. It says your computer has a virus and gives you a number to call for help. You often end up paying hundreds of dollars to a scammer who pretends to deal with the fake virus. Now scammers are upping the stakes and instead of hundreds of dollars, people are unknowingly handing over tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars to tech support scammers. Here’s how: Tech scammers still use fake security pop-ups to get you to call a number. But instead of telling you there’s a virus, they now say someone hacked your bank, investment, or retirement account and is using it for fraud. To “help,” they transfer you to another scammer who pretends to be with a government agency (like the FTC or the FBI) or the fraud department at your bank. The scammer says the only way to protect your money is to transfer it to a new account. The problem is the scammer controls that new account and quickly cleans it out.  Other scammers take the same approach but tell you to “protect” your money by buying gift cards and sharing the numbers on the back, buying bitcoin, and sharing the account information, or withdrawing cash or buying gold and dropping it off to someone in person. Here's what to know: Never call a number on a security pop-up warning. Pop-ups that tell you to call tech support are always scams. Never move or transfer your money to “protect it” without a thoughtful and thorough approach to doing so. Work with your bank(er) in-person or by calling them back at a known number and only after going through property ID verification steps. Never give someone a verification code to log in to your account. Scammers want it to get into your account. Call your real bank(er), broker, or investment advisor if you’re worried and use a phone number you know is legitimate. Learn more about tech support scams at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

The following article provides some great strategies to help avoid becoming a victim of fraud. Hopefully you already have these practices in place.

WATCH OUT FOR THIS SCAM! Below is a recent article from the FTC. We are hearing of more bank customers falling prey to similar scams, so I thought I would ge the word out! 😉 Hang up on PCH impersonators By Ari Lazarus, Consumer Education Specialist, FTC December 22, 2023   Have you gotten a call about a prize for a contest you never entered? It might be a scam. We’ve been hearing about scammers calling to say you’ve won a boatload of money from Publishers Clearing House (PCH) through a multi-state lottery. They tell you to call a number and press 1 to learn more. If you don’t, you supposedly won’t get the money. What would you do?  Well, if you press 1, they’ll tell you some version of this fictional story: you won several million dollars (you didn’t), the winnings are at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (they’re not), and you need to pay a fee to get your money (you really, really don’t). No matter what version of the story you hear: it’s a scam. Here are some things to know to avoid this and other prize scams: Real prizes are free. If there’s a charge, it’s a scam. Anyone who tells you to pay to get your prize — whether it’s for "taxes," "shipping and handling charges," or “processing fees” — is a scammer. Stop and walk away. Scammers tell you to act NOW. They tell you it’s a limited offer and try to rush you. They don’t want you to have time to think about what’s really happening. If anyone tries to hurry you into paying, stop. Remember that’s something scammers do. Scammers use names that look like the real thing. But no real sweepstakes company will demand money for a prize. To double-check, reach out to the real company. Make sure to use contact information you found yourself — not what the person who called you gave you. Spot a prize scam? Tell the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov