TL;DR: People who lost a job want income fast and may skip a normal hiring process. File for unemployment only through your state's official website, and be wary of any job offer that starts before a real interview or involves handling money.
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People who lost a job want income fast and may skip a normal hiring process.
Common Tactics Used
Fake unemployment benefit portals collect personal information for identity theft, and job scams offer immediate remote work that involves reshipping goods or forwarding money.
How to Protect Against It
File for unemployment only through your state's official website, and be wary of any job offer that starts before a real interview or involves handling money.
What Family and Friends Can Do
Sudden secrecy about money, unusual withdrawals, or a new online relationship that stays undisclosed are all worth a calm, judgment-free conversation. The earlier a scam is caught, the more can usually be recovered.
If this looks similar to something else you've seen, it's worth reading Scams Targeting Landlords.
This pattern shows up elsewhere too — see Scams Targeting Military Families.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are they specifically targeted?
People who lost a job want income fast and may skip a normal hiring process.
What tactics do scammers use?
Fake unemployment benefit portals collect personal information for identity theft, and job scams offer immediate remote work that involves reshipping goods or forwarding money.
How can they protect themselves?
File for unemployment only through your state's official website, and be wary of any job offer that starts before a real interview or involves handling money.
What should family or friends watch for?
Sudden secrecy about money or new online relationships, unusual withdrawals or wire transfers, and reluctance to discuss a new "opportunity" or contact in detail are all worth a gentle, non-judgmental conversation.
What should I do if I think this has already happened?
Stop all contact and payments immediately, report it to the appropriate authority, and contact the bank or payment provider involved to see what can be recovered.