BBB Risk Report: Employment Scams Climbed To Second Riskiest In 2022

Employment scams are now the second riskiest, according to a new report from the Better Business Bureau. Employment scam reports submitted to BBB Scam Tracker ℠ were up 23.1 percent from 2021 to 2022. 

The median dollar loss of $1,500 for employment scams is significantly higher than the overall median dollar loss of $171 for all scam types. 

“Employment scams, which peaked at #1 on our list in 2019, are seeing a resurgence,” said Melissa Lanning Trumpower, executive director of the BBB Institute for Marketplace Trust, which produced the 2022 BBB Scam Tracker Risk Report. “This is a high-touch scam in which perpetrators spend more time with their targets in the hope of stealing more money from each target. Employment scams tied for the highest median dollar loss of all scam types. Home improvement scams, #4 on our list of riskiest scams, also had a median dollar loss of $1,500.”

The Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD) was the 11th most impersonated entity alongside major corporations such as Amazon, Microsoft, PayPal and Facebook. Last year, BBB Central Indiana issued a warning about a scam making its rounds of con artists posing as DWD to prey on unsuspecting individuals. 

“To be listed as one of the top impersonated organizations last year goes to show its prevalence,” stated BBB Central Indiana President and CEO, Cathy Armour. “Scammers made up a program called ‘Back2Work.’ They send a text message claiming people could expect a considerable amount of money through a direct deposit by clicking the provided link.”

It can be difficult to trace who’s behind this phishing scheme which tries to lure people into giving personally or financially sensitive information. However, one thing that’s for certain is the DWD will not ask to verify information through text messages. 

Online purchase (shopping) scams remained the #1 riskiest scam type in 2022. 

Cryptocurrency scams dropped in 2022, from second to third riskiest because of a decline in reported scams, susceptibility (the percentage of those who lose money when exposed to a scam), and median dollar loss. Romance scams reappeared on the list this year, rising from #14 in 2021 to #7 in 2022 because of an increase in reports and a higher median dollar loss. 

Key findings of the report include: 

• More people reported losing money when targeted by a website, social media, or email than other contact methods.
• Those who were targeted in person reported losing the largest amount of money ($715), followed by text message ($579) and phone ($550).
• Text message scams increased 39.6 percent, up from 12.7 percent in 2022.
• Scams perpetrated online were more likely to result in a monetary loss, compared with scams being targeted by phone or in person.
• Credit cards remained the most reported payment method with a monetary loss, followed by online payment systems.
• The payment methods with the highest median dollar loss were wire transfer ($2,700), check ($1,277), and cryptocurrency ($1,135).
• The riskiest scam type varied among age groups, with employment scams landing as the #1 riskiest for ages 18 to 34.
• Online purchase scams were again the #1 riskiest for ages 35 to 64. Home improvement scams were the #1 riskiest for ages 65+.
• Military consumers (active-duty military, spouses, and veterans) reported significantly higher median financial losses ($238) than non-military consumers ($163). Active-duty military reported losing significantly more money ($490) than military spouses ($248) and veterans ($200).

The most impersonated organizations reported to BBB Scam Tracker in 2022: 

• Amazon 
• Geek Squad 
• Publishers Clearing House 
• U.S. Postal Service Norton 

RESOURCES

For more highlights from the 2022 BBB Scam Tracker Risk Report, visit BBBMarketplaceTrust.org/RiskReport. 

Go to BBB.org/ScamTracker to report a scam, learn more about other risky scams on BBB.org/ScamTips and visit our news feed.