California issues consumer alert about job recruitment scams

CALIFORNIA – California attorney general Rob Bonta issued a consumer alert, April 10, asking Californians to be aware of job recruitment scams.

Bonta’s office said job recruitment scams occur when bad actors trick job-seekers into providing money or personal information by posing as employers, recruiters, or job placement agencies.

These scams often promise high-paying jobs with urgent hiring, little qualifications, or the opportunity to work from home.

“Remember if a stranger offers you a job you didn’t apply for, it’s most likely a scam,” said Bonta.

Task job scam usually asks for crypto payments

According to a recent Federal Trade Commission (FTC) report, losses to job scams more than exceeded $220 million in the first half of 2024 alone.

About 20,000 people reported to the FTC gamified job scams, often called task scams, where users are asked to do simple repetitive tasks such as liking videos or rating product images.

Many people report getting small payouts at first, which give them greater trust in the system.

However, at some point, they’ll say the user has to make a deposit to complete the next set of tasks and get the supposed earnings out of the app.

Reports show crypto is the currency of choice for these scams.

Money mule scam can lead job-seekers to jail time

Bonta said job recruitment scams can also be used to recruit unsuspecting job-seekers, sometimes called money mules, to assist with criminal activity.

“If someone you don’t know sends you money and asks you to forward or transfer the money, you could be fueling fraud,” said a statement in the news release.

It goes on to say that transferring money on behalf of others could also lead to losing money or serving jail time.

Warning signs

There are many potential signs of a job scam. Be wary if the job posting or email exhibits any of these signs:

Asks for money.
Asks you to make purchases on their behalf — such as gift cards.
Asks you to share your credit card number or bank details.
Asks you to receive or send money or packages for people you don’t know or haven’t met in person.
Promises easy money – especially if it involves sending or receiving money or packages.
Asks you to open a bank account or cryptocurrency account at someone else’s direction.
Claims to offer a “secret” list of government jobs or a chance to get on an inside track for government employment for a fee. Government job listings are always free —find them at jobs.ca.gov, usajobs.gov, or about.usps.com/careers.
Lists a company without an established physical office.
Gives a short timeline or puts pressure on you to urgently respond.

Protect yourself from job scams

Bonta said that job-seekers can protect themselves from scams by not clicking on links in the scammers text message or email.

In addition, consumers can research online for the name of the company with words like “review,” “scam,” or “complaint.”

The office also recommends deleting any scam texts or messages received.