FBI Warns of Rise in Work-From-Home Scams

The FBI has issued a public service announcement (PSA) on Tuesday cautioning individuals about a surge in fraudulent work-from-home schemes. 

These scams, masquerading as legitimate job opportunities, lure victims with promises of easy tasks like rating restaurants or performing so-called “optimization” duties. 

According to the advisory, scammers typically impersonate reputable businesses or recruiting agencies, reaching out to potential victims via unsolicited calls or messages.

One key tactic these scammers employ is a convoluted payment structure, often requiring victims to make cryptocurrency payments to purported employers to access additional earnings or unlock their supposed work. Despite indications of accumulating income on a fake interface, victims find themselves unable to withdraw any funds.

Several red flags signal potential scams, including demands for cryptocurrency payments, simplistic job descriptions and the absence of reference requirements during the hiring process. 

To safeguard against such schemes, the FBI advised individuals to exercise caution when encountering unsolicited job offers, refrain from sending money to unfamiliar entities and avoid divulging personal or financial information.

Read more on similar scams: Investment Scams Grow, 13,000 Domains Detected in January 2024

Commenting on the news, Erich Kron, a security awareness advocate at KnowBe4, emphasized the importance of trusting one’s instincts and being vigilant against suspicious job offers, particularly amid the increasing prevalence of remote work opportunities. 

“With some employers asking people to return to the office [after the Covid pandemic], the search for work-from-home jobs is happening even more often,” Kron explained. “These types of scams take advantage of how normal it is to work from home to blend in with many of the legitimate jobs being offered.”

Kron also advised individuals to recognize warning signs, such as confusing payment structures or requests for upfront payments in exchange for employment.

“People generally have a good sense of intuition about things like this. However, we often talk ourselves out of heeding the warnings,” Kron concluded.

As remote work continues gaining traction, individuals are urged to remain vigilant and report fraudulent or suspicious activities to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at www.ic3.gov.