September 2022
· 7 min read
Did you know that just this past spring of 2022 alone, Americans were scammed out of $68 million because of fake business and job opportunities? These are the findings of a report by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). That’s 20,700 people who were preyed on by scams while seeking new employment — and a third of them lost money in the fallout.
These stark facts speak volumes about how cybercriminals find highly creative ways to go after vulnerable people. Certainly, targeting job seekers who were (and are) trying to survive, revive and thrive during the paralyzing two and a half years of the COVID-19 pandemic is a cruel feat. The report suggests that the scams reflect white-collar criminals taking advantage of a hot job market to con job applicants out of their money and personal financial information.
Working behind the scenes to eliminate cyber fraud and boost security for companies and individuals worldwide, NSF wants to protect you from job scams with a look at how they work and tips to better protect yourself.
The FTC and the FBI encourage job seekers to look out for these job scam warning signs:
NSF cybersecurity experts offer these seven tips to help you be more proactive:
Sources:
www.nsf.org/knowledge-library/ciscos-barry-yuan-adopting-zero-trust-approach
www.nsf.org/knowledge-library/busy-company-chief-information-security-officer
www.nsf.org/knowledge-library/helping-clients-ensure-information-security