GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan — Following a busy travel season for many, coupled with extra expenses on gas and dining out, many of us may be looking to make an extra buck. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) of Michigan warns that if you are seeking additional work, scammers are already preying on job seekers here in Michigan.
“They jump in with either fake job offers, or sometimes it’s the other way around; it might be someone who isn’t really the best client,” Nakia Mills of the BBB of Michigan said. “They’re scamming you to get you to do a service for them at no cost.”
It’s called a reshipping scam. Job seekers might apply for a job as a "shopping coordinator," but instead, scammers use stolen credit cards to order products online and have them sent to your address to avoid detection. They then convince you to ship these items to a location of their choice, so they don’t get caught. Other times, you might find a job that requires you to pay for training.
“They’ll do the training, and then they’ll require more and more training,” Mills said. “Finally, people report they realize they're never going to get a job and make those thousands of dollars a week.”
So what can you do to avoid becoming a victim of these side hustles? The BBB of Michigan offers the following tips:
- Screen potential clients: If approached by an individual instead of a company for freelance work, like photography or pet-sitting, get to know them before agreeing to do any work. Ask lots of questions, research their social media accounts, and request a video chat meeting. Most scammers will avoid meeting you and won’t respond to specific inquiries.
- Keep your work on freelance job sites: Upwork reports that one common scam on freelancer job sites involves circumvention. In this scam, a supposed employer first approaches you on the site. Then they ask you to do work and accept payment outside the platform. These scammers may try to convince you to use payment methods like PayPal, claiming they want to help you avoid fees charged by the freelance site. Chances are, once you submit your work, you won’t receive any payment, and your client will disappear.
- Watch out for too-good-to-be-true job postings: Jobs that offer extremely attractive pay for easy work requiring no special skills are likely fraudulent. Car wrap scams are a good example of this tactic.
- Research side gigs before applying: No matter how appealing a job seems, do your homework beforehand. Visit the company’s website to verify the job posting. Check if the company has a professional website and legitimate contact information. Also, conduct an online search for the job title and company name. If you find the exact same listing appearing in multiple cities or see reports of the job being a scam, do not engage further.
- Beware of work-from-home scams: While these jobs can be perfect for students or stay-at-home parents, they are often more likely to be scams. Be especially wary of applying for jobs like “warehouse redistribution coordinator” that involve reshipping (often stolen) packages. Scammers often impersonate well-known retailers like Amazon and Walmart on major employment platforms.
- Be cautious of fake checks: Many scammers will offer to hire you but will claim they need to send you a check for supplies before you start working. Typically, the scammers will “overpay” you and ask you to send back some of the funds via wire transfer or prepaid gift cards. After you send the money, you will likely receive a notification from your bank that the deposited check was fake. You’ll have lost any money you “returned” to the scammer.
- Never pay to work: You should never have to pay a fee to apply for a job or secure a position. Legitimate companies will not pay you anything before you’ve performed any work.
- Get all details in writing: Draft a basic contract that includes the services provided, timeline, and compensation. Scammers tend to avoid supplying specific details, so this step will deter them and help you avoid disputes with legitimate employers.
- Protect your personal information: Be wary of any job that asks for personal information upfront. If a company insists on acquiring a copy of your driver’s license or bank account information, ensure you’re dealing with a legitimate business before sharing sensitive information.
