The Better Business Bureau has a warning for students looking for part time work this summer. One scam is targeting people responding to 'help wanted' ads for nanny or caregiver work.
"We had a report of a young woman here in Idaho losing hundreds of dollars to this scam," said the BBB's Emily Valla.
Valla says it all starts with a help wanted ad online, or maybe an email from a so-called recruiter. The scammer says they are moving to the area and want a nanny for their children, or a caregiver for an elderly relative. They say they want to hire someone before they move. Valla says when you respond to the ad, the scammer will hire you right away, without an interview. Then, an over payment comes in.
"Your new 'boss' says they need you to run an errand before the family arrives. In one common scenario, you need to accept the delivery of a medical device. Your employer sends you a check to deposit and asks you to keep some money as payment for your services, then transfer the rest to a third party to pay for the goods. Don't do it! The check and the third party are both fakes. It can take weeks for your bank to determine a check is fake, and if you withdraw the money before that time, you're on the hook to pay back the bank. If you've already transferred the money to the third party, it's gone," Valla said.
The BBB warns if a job looks suspicious, search for it online. If the job post comes up in other cities with the exact same information, it is likely a scam. Also, check the real company's job page to make sure the position is posted there as well.
Also, watch out for on-the-spot job offers made without an interview, and look for typos and bad grammar in the job post. A legitimate job post should not have bad writing.
Visit www.bbb.org for more information.
