Scams hidden in plain sight

Some scams you can see coming and they are easy to avoid other newer scams seem to be catching people off guard and one of those has been running rampant on some local Facebook pages.

Amazon may be hiring but they are not hiring here in Worland for work-at-home jobs. According to scam-detector.com, “Watch out for a plethora of fake Amazon jobs from home that have been inundated the employment boards. There is no secret that, in general, the Amazon scams have been perpetrating the most, but this type of fraud (job scams, that is) has been making millions of victims worldwide.

“Once individuals respond to these ads expressing interest, scammers employ various techniques to defraud them. They may request personal information such as Social Security numbers, addresses, and bank account details under the pretense of conducting background checks or initiating the hiring process. Who wouldn’t want to make money working jobs from home? Alternatively, they might demand payment for training materials, uniform costs, or other false requirements related to the supposed job opportunity.”

Every day in the past week on the Facebook page Worland Take-Out Dining there is a post #Amazon is urgently hiring. Confirming orders sitting at home. Good salary. The posts are from “Anonymous member.”

Some people realize it is scam and note as such in the comments but I have also seen people tagging others on these types of ads because they believe them to be legitimate.

So the first clue this is a scam is that it is an “anonymous member.” How they were able to join a private group I am not sure except that they probably hacked in, would be my guess.

So if it is a private group and there is an anonymous member please do not believe the posts.

However, similar scams have popped up on other Worland sites using fake accounts. How can you tell it is a fake account. You can click on the name and see the profile. When they having no information and the page was created that day or within the past few days – do not believe the post.

Here are some tips from scam-detector.com to help you not fall victim to scams on social media.

“Verify the source: Before responding to any job advertisement, ensure it originates from legitimate sources such as the official Amazon website or authorized job portals. Cross-reference the details mentioned in the ad with the information on the official Amazon career page. Check the recruiter’s domain name on our website validator. Do not click on a link. Go to your search browser and seek out the official website of Amazon or other business you are verifying.

Research thoroughly: Conduct a comprehensive background check on the company and job position. Look for inconsistencies, such as unrealistic compensation packages or unusual payment requests.

“Spot grammar mistakes 

“Be cautious of unsolicited offers: Exercise caution if you get a job offer out of the blue without applying for a position. Fraudsters often send unsolicited emails or messages to initiate contact and lure unsuspecting individuals.

“Guard personal information: Never share sensitive personal information, such as Social Security Number (SSN), bank account details, or copies of identification documents, unless you have verified the employer’s legitimacy and are confident in their authenticity.

“Trust your instincts: If something feels off or maybe too good to be true, it probably is. Listen to your gut feeling and err on the side of caution. Legitimate employers will never rush you into providing personal information or making immediate payments.

“Report suspicious activity: If you encounter a potentially fraudulent Amazon jobs ad or fall victim to the scam, report it immediately to the respective platform, such as Facebook, and notify local law enforcement agencies. Doing so, you help protect others from falling victim to the same scheme.”

I also advocate for administrators of Facebook pages to please monitor postings. It is not easy but necessary. We have to monitor our own and just this past week I deleted a post that I believed to have been a scam. I posted the brackets for the regional tournament and there was a post where you could watch the games. It was not the NFHS Network or McKamey Broadcasting so I knew it was not legitimate since the NFHS Network has exclusive rights to post season video broadcasts in Wyoming.

If you are an administrator of a social media page there is a responsibility to not have your followers get scammed.

If we all do our part I hope we can prevent some friends, family and followers from being scammed.