7 On Your Side has tips for avoiding job scams

NEW YORK (WABC) -- Nearly 1-in-3 Americans report receiving job offer scams via text and email.

Employment scams alone rose 60% in one month this summer, with $12 billion lost to fraud each year.

Employment-related scams exploded in 2025, jumping 1000% in May, June, and July around the time recent graduates are looking for work.

Victims reported losing an average of $1,471 per scam. Most scams shared one thing in common: job seekers were asked to make an upfront payment.

7 On your Side has tips to avoid job scams.

1. You should not have to pay to earn money

The biggest red flag is when an employer or recruiter asks you to send money to buy equipment, a training manual, or other materials with the promise that you will be reimbursed.

2. Beware of bad checks

Some scammers send a check and tell victims to cash it and forward a portion back to them or another person. The check later bounces, but the victim has already sent your money to someone else.

3. Avoid phone numbers from out of country area codes

Scammers can use numbers from international codes such as +62 and ask to communicate via WhatsApp. These offers often sound too good to be true, with promises of daily pay up to $1,150 for just 30 to 60 minutes of work, no experience required, flexible hours and paid vacation

Experts at McAfee warn the new trend scammers are using is AI to work in key words to fit exactly what job seekers are interested in.

Their research shows the words like "resume", "recruiter", and benefits-related terms like "maternity" and "paternity" are often used to make scams seem more credible.

4. Find resources to protect yourself

S

cam blocking tools don't just save your sanity, it saves your wallet. Whether its McAfee's scam detector, Robokiller, Call Blocker and Aura's ID Shield can help prevent fraud. There are both individual and family plans available, often costing less than a dollar a day.

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