How to avoid scams when searching for a job online

$840,000 has been lost to con artists targeting job-seekers so far this year.

ATLANTA — Trying to find a new place to work is never easy.

But now the Better Business Bureau is warning job seekers of a new scam which could turn a potential dream job into an instant nightmare.

Kendale Hunter was looking for employment when he got an appealing offer.

“This lady was acting like she was moving into my city and wanted me to be her handyman," Hunter explained.

But, there was a catch.

“She wanted to receive a check (from me) and send her like $1,700 back and keep $300 for myself," he said.

That raised red flags. It was all part of a scam which the Better Business Bureau (BBB) says is on the rise nation-wide and especially throughout metro Atlanta.

“How these employment scams work they typically contact job-seekers through phone, text, social media or job boards," Simone Williams, a BBB spokesperson said.

The Bureau said during the first three months of this year, its scam tracker logged $840,000 dollars in reported job scam losses. That’s up 250% from January to March of 2022.

Terrell Toles said he was one who was taken in. He explained he lost thousands of dollars to someone claiming to be offering a lucrative career in exchange for some paid training.

“I invested $3,000 out of my own pocket. I was taking all the computer courses but when it was time for me to get my certification, the company completely disappeared," Toles said.

As for Hunter, he stopped responding to his potential scammer but knows he was lucky.

“If they ask you to send money to them, it’s a scam. You really just got to read and pay attention," Hunter said.

The Better Business Bureau offered up some tips to job-seekers so you can avoid being scammed while looking for a new job online:

• Find number on business's website; call to confirm if job or offer is real
• Be cautious on giving personal information to unverified recruiters and online apps
• Never pay a stranger for a job