CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Scammers hide behind an illusion of trust, and that deception can come in the form of a text, an email, or even a job offer.
"People ages 18- to 24 are most susceptible are with employment scams," said Tom Bartholomy, President of The Better Business Bureau.
"They found a demographic they can take advantage of," added Bartholomy.
Bartholomy says the work-from-home scams are a lengthy process and could take weeks.
"You get interviewed by two or three different people all online and they end up making you an offer," said Bartholomy. "A little after you accept the offer you hear from human resources asking for documents that include your social security number and bank info for direct deposit."
He says from there your time, money and your identity are all stolen.
"You've given them willingly everything they could ever dream of, as far as what an identity thief is looking for," said Bartholomy.
He says employment scammers are also sending folks a check in the mail to purchase items for work from their website, only to find out it’s a scam.
Bartholomy says the checks are fake and money comes from your account.
"The amount of money that they're getting from people that they're scamming has almost doubled in just the last year."
Bartholomy says the average loss last year climbed from 500 to 700 dollars to 1,800 to 2,500 dollars.
"It's all because you didn't take five minutes and do a little bit of research to find out if this company even for real," said Bartholomy.
He says doing research will play a big part in ensuring you’re both tech-savvy and scam-savvy.
Contact Tradesha Woodard at twoodard1@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
WCNC Charlotte is always asking "where's the money?" If you need help, reach out to WCNC Charlotte by emailing money@wcnc.com.
WCNC Charlotte's Where's The Money series is all about leveling the playing in the Carolinas by helping others and breaking down barriers. WCNC Charlotte doesn't want our viewers to be taken advantage of, so we’re here to help. Watch previous stories where we ask the question “Where’s the Money” in the YouTube playlist below and subscribe to get updated when new videos are uploaded.