“If only getting rich from texting were real, I’d have made millions by now—just from replying ‘STOP’ all day.”
In this publication, we're uncovering a scam that’s targeting people exactly when they're most vulnerable: when they’re job hunting. As the economy gets tighter, cybercriminals are going full throttle with job-related scam texts—and they’re getting smarter about it. If you or someone you know is on the job market, this one’s worth reading.
Scam texts offering fake jobs or side hustles are flooding inboxes across the U.S.—and they're costing people big. In 2024, Americans reported losing $470 million to these schemes, according to the Federal Trade Commission. And those are just the cases that got reported.
How It Works
It starts with a simple text or message, often from a sketchy number or email, offering an amazing job opportunity. The red flags? Interviews done entirely over text, promises of high pay for menial online tasks, or “quick cash” gigs like liking videos or reviewing products. Sometimes they claim you’ll get paid in crypto—or worse, they ask you to pay them first.
Other variations include:
- “Equipment” scams: The scammer sends a fake check and tells the victim to use it for work-related gear, then asks for the balance back. The check later bounces.
- “Task” scams: Victims are paid small amounts at first for simple online tasks, then asked to pay into the platform to unlock more work—only to lose it all.
Who’s Being Targeted
While older adults have long been seen as the prime targets for scams, younger generations—especially Gen Z and millennials—are now in the crosshairs. These scams thrive on text-based communication, which feels totally normal to digital natives. The hunger for side income and remote work only makes the bait more effective.
A growing number of reports are coming from job seekers who fell for these scams while desperate for flexible income, often after months of fruitless job searching. “They’re very lucrative,” says Eva Velasquez of the Identity Theft Resource Center. “They can capture not only your data but often your money.”
Why You Should Care
Falling for a job scam can lead to:
- Loss of money—sometimes thousands of dollars
- Exposure of sensitive data like SSNs, bank info, and ID copies
- Identity theft
- Financial stress and emotional distress, especially for those already struggling
What makes this particularly dangerous is that the process often feels legitimate—because real job applications do ask for this information. Scammers count on that confusion.
How to Protect Yourself
- Don’t trust job offers via text or WhatsApp—especially unsolicited ones.
- Never send money or buy gift cards as part of a hiring process.
- Verify the job: Search for it online or contact the company directly using contact info from their official website.
- Check the grammar and language in the message. Many scams used to be easy to spot by poor grammar—but AI is changing that.
- If a check is involved, beware. If they send you money before you even start work, assume it’s a scam.
Quick Tips & Updates
- Quick Tip #1: “Did you know? No legitimate employer will ever ask you to pay them first.”
- Pro Tip: “If the job sounds easy, remote, and pays a fortune—it’s probably fake.”
The FTC has seen a sharp rise in “task scams,” where victims are slowly lured into investing their own money. These messages often reference “app optimization” or “product boosting”—phrases that sound real but are fake job jargon.
Stay safe, stay informed,
Keywords:
- Scam Texts: Fraudulent SMS messages meant to deceive recipients into providing personal or financial information.
- Job Scam: A fake employment offer designed to steal money or information.
- SMiShing: Phishing scams carried out via SMS or messaging apps.
- Social Engineering: Manipulative tactics used to trick people into divulging confidential info.
- Fake Check Scam: A fraud where victims are sent bad checks and asked to send part of the funds back.
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