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TL;DR
- Job offer scams are increasing, with fraudulent online postings up 19% in early 2025.
- Text scams have surged, with over 20,000 reports last year compared to 4,872 in 2020.
- Scammers pose as recruiters, use fake job sites like ZipRecruiter or LinkedIn, and steal data.
- These schemes are particularly harmful during economic downturns and a sluggish job market.
According to Federal Trade Commission data, job offer scams, which are probably more convincing than this particular one, have surged dramatically over the past few years:
- During the initial six months of 2025, reports of fraudulent online job postings increased by 19% year-over-year, resulting in nearly $300 million in losses for individuals seeking employment.
- Text scams have seen a particularly rapid increase over the past five years, with 20,673 reports filed last year, a significant jump from the 4,872 reports recorded in 2020.
How do they work? You’ve probably received an unsolicited text from an unknown number—or from an email address that is just slightly off—with an “exciting” opportunity. Sometimes, scammers will pose as recruiters or post fake job offers on legit job sites like ZipRecruiter or LinkedIn, trying to get you to click on links that they promise lead to video interviews, but actually install malicious spyware on your device (or get you to reveal your Social Security number or bank info). One writer followed through on a scam job and worked for weeks without pay.
Big picture: Though such schemes are prevalent in any economic climate, they're especially harmful during a sluggish job market, leaving countless Americans in dire need of employment. Last month saw the highest number of layoffs since 2003, according to worst October.—MM
This report was originally published by Morning Brew.