More than one in ten people who were targeted by job scams this year fell victim, according to a report from Resume.org. Younger people, particularly young men, are more likely to fall victim.
“In total, 14% of those who received a job scam text fell victim,” the report says. “Younger workers are more likely to have fallen victim to the scam.
“Twenty percent of Gen Zers fell for a job scam, followed by 16% of millennials, 10% of Gen Xers, and just 4% of boomers. Men appear even more likely to become victims, with 24% of Gen Z men and 31% of millennial men interacting with the scam.”
One in three victims of these scams lost money to the attackers, and 18 percent quit their jobs or delayed real interviews for a fake offer.
“Of the people who engaged with the job scam text, nearly half, 48%, say they shared personal information with the sender, and 30% had money stolen from their bank account or credit card,” the report says.
“The amount stolen varied: 6% lost less than $100, 32% between $100 and $250, and 38% between $251 and $500. Additionally, 21% report losses of $501 to $1,000, while 3% say scammers took more than $1,000. Further, 22% of victims gave the scammers money directly. The most common reason was being asked to pay upfront fees, something 84% of victims report.”
Kara Dennison, head of career advising at Resume.org, stated, “There are several reasons younger people, especially young men, are more vulnerable to job scams. Many are early in their careers and haven’t yet developed the instincts to spot red flags. Financial pressure also plays a big role, as the promise of fast, remote income is incredibly appealing when facing student debt and rising living costs.”
Users can thwart these scams if they have a healthy sense of suspicion and are trained to recognise social engineering tactics.
“When asked what made the message seem suspicious, most say the fact that it came through a text message instead of a traditional job platform,” the researchers write. “Others say the job description or company details were vague, the offer seemed too good to be true, or the message included poor grammar and an unprofessional tone. Some say they were tipped off by the fact that they were pressured to respond quickly or promised unrealistic pay.”
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