Online job seekers lured into handing over personal identifying information and becoming criminal accomplices in growing work-from-home scam.
With more small businesses, individual entrepreneurs, and businesses that are mostly, if not entirely online, the job of virtual assistant has become one of the most sought-after home office positions. Hiring a virtual assistant saves employers money on infrastructure and technology needed to support an employee in a workplace, offloads much of the overhead cost of a new hire, and has been found to increase employee efficiency by 12%. At the same time, the virtual assistant can earn a high wage, sometimes as much as $5,000 per month.
A central component of any successful scam is appearing to give the target what they want, and in this case, it is either a virtual assistant for their business, or a job as a high-paid virtual assistant. This has made virtual assistant scams some of the most common work-from-home job scams of the year, and the duties of this position can easily be twisted into illegal activities.
There are two main kinds of virtual assistant scams that target job seekers:
- In this scam, the perp will put out an ad for a virtual assistant job and prey on applicants, OR they will target those who have posted resumes or applied for virtual assistant jobs. The perp offers the victim a job, and then proceeds to request bank account information, fees, and money for training and materials. The victim ends up without an actual job, stolen money, and stolen personal financial information.
- In this second scam, the victim is hired by the perp to be a virtual assistant and promptly asked to cash checks, wire money, forward payments, and collect and send items (which happen to be stolen). Without knowing, the victim has now become an accomplice in criminal activity including theft and money laundering. Even if the victim’s actions were innocent, they could still find themselves facing legal consequences.
The first red flag that a virtual assistant job offer may be a scam is the same as other email scams: poor grammar and spelling, shoddy communication, and vague descriptions. Beware of vague job descriptions, jobs that you did not specifically apply for, and jobs that did not check your credentials or ask for references before hiring you. Never hand over personal or financial information before vetting a potential employer or signing any contracts. If you are asked for any fees or payment for training or materials up front, it is a scam. If your new employer immediately asks you to collect or resend items, cash checks, wire money, or forward payment, it is a scam luring your into becoming a criminal accomplice.
Employers are not safe from virtual assistant scams. If you hire a virtual assistant, you are handing over the keys to your business to someone you may have never met. Vetting a virtual assistant is essential to the security and success of your business.
Even if the position is virtual, it is a good idea to have an in-person interview – either face-to-face or via video chat. Always vet the credentials of the employer or the hire before signing any contracts or engaging in any activities that include money or personal information.
If you have been offered a virtual assistant position or are hiring a virtual assistant, a PI can vet the other party and their credentials to make sure everyone is who they claim to be before moving forward on the hire.