Flexible Hours, Fantastic Pay, and a Fraudulent Recruiter
Have I got an opportunity for you! Remote Work, Great Daily Pay, Flexible Hours, and No Experience Required. Earn up to $287,000 working just 5 hours a week!
Queue eye roll.🙄
I’m certain most people by now have received at least one of these. For some reason, I receive one every couple of weeks.Â
Messages like this—often claiming to be from legitimate companies such as Randstad, Amazon, or FedEx—are part of a growing wave of employment scams designed to steal your money, personal information, or both.
While it’s hard to believe that people fall for this, the mere fact that they are still sending them means at least someone is. I’ll just say it…
No legitimate company recruits through random group texts or WhatsApp links.
Real companies post jobs through:
Official career portals or verified job boards (LinkedIn, Indeed, etc.)
Emails from company domainsÂ
Formal interview processes—not random group texts
What the Scammers Are After
These schemes can take several forms:
- Identity theft: They may ask for your ID, Social Security number, or bank information under the guise of “onboarding paperwork.”
- Advance-fee scams: Some claim you must buy “training materials” or “software licenses” before starting. Once you pay, the scammer disappears.
- Money laundering: Others might “hire” you to transfer funds or crypto, turning you into a money mule.
- Phishing: Clicking links can install malware or steal your login credentials.
What to Do
- Never click links or respond to unsolicited job texts or emails.
- Verify directly – If it looks remotely legitimate and this is an unsolicited message, check the company’s official website or call their HR department to confirm if a job offer is real.
- Report the scam – Forward the text to 7726 (SPAM), report it to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov, and block the number.
- Delete, Delete, Delete