by Ethan Faverino | Jul 17, 2025 | Economy, Must Read, News
By Ethan Faverino |
Scammers are posing as recruiters, offering tempting remote job opportunities to steal your money or personal information.
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is urging consumers to stay vigilant, as job scams continue to rise. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over 103,000 employment scam complaints were made in 2024, resulting in an overwhelming $220 million in losses.
Fraudulent recruiters claim to represent well-known companies and reach out via email, text message, or even social media platforms such as LinkedIn and WhatsApp.
These messages often come from personal email accounts like @gmail.com or @yahoo.com rather than corporate domains.
Scammers may send what appears to be an official invitation for a virtual interview, complete with job descriptions and benefits.
However, they often move quickly, extending job offers and sending paperwork that requests sensitive information, such as bank account details, Social Security number, or even in some cases, cryptocurrency payments for “training” or “equipment.”
According to the BBB’s 2024 Scam Tracker Risk Report, employment scams ranked among the top five riskiest scams, with a medium loss of $1,500 per victim.
It is important to remember that legitimate employers do not request sensitive information or payment until after a formal hiring process is complete.
There are multiple ways to spot a job scam.
Make sure to check the sender’s email address or contact details. Legitimate recruiters use verified company emails or phone numbers, not personal accounts like Gmail and Yahoo.
Watch out for requests for personal information or any form of payment. Make sure that you are not asked to share your Social Security number, driver’s license number, bank details, or make any upfront payments before an interview or offer.
The FTC reported that 68% of job scam victims shared personal information before recognizing the fraud.
If you are unaware or uneasy about the recruiter or the company, you can always search for the name and companies online to confirm legitimacy. Most of the time you can go straight to the company’s official website or HR department or use other websites like the Better Business Bureau to make sure the recruiter and or company is legit.
Always be skeptical of job offers that are “too good to be true.” Job offers that promise high pay for little work or include vague responsibilities should raise concern.
The BBB notes that 43% of job scam complaints involved remote work offers, often targeting younger job seekers.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Mar 6, 2025 | Economy, News
By Matthew Holloway |
The Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) is urging caution from the public in the use of Crypto ATMs with a warning that they are being utilized to facilitate cryptocurrency scams in a bigger way “than ever before.” Reporting from the FBI has indicated losses to consumers in Arizona of over $325 million.
According to a press release by the ACC Securities Division, national data from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has shown American consumers reporting losses in excess of $110 million through scams linked to cryptocurrency ATMs documented in 2023, a drastic escalation at ten-times the 2020 figure.
As explained by the ACC, Crypto ATMs, kiosks that allow users to purchase cryptocurrencies using a credit or debit card, have become more ubiquitous and are visually similar to traditional ATMs. They are often located at gas stations, convenience stores, malls, and other places where an ATM would typically be present. However, unlike a typical ATM, these kiosks convert dollars to cryptocurrency held in an electronic wallet… for a fee.
Portal scamming, an already common issue at ATMs, fuel pumps, and cash registers poses an added danger with the advent of Crypto ATMs as the ACC explains:
“The scams typically start through online chats, social media, emails, texts, pop-up messages and phone calls from strangers. The lies told by scammers vary, but they create some urgent justification for consumers to take cash out of their bank accounts and put it into a crypto ATM.
“Often, the scammers fabricate an investment that promises great returns with limited risk. When consumers put their money into the crypto ATM, the ATM converts the money to cryptocurrency. The consumer types in the scammer’s electronic wallet address, or the consumer is given a QR code to scan which points to the scammer’s electronic wallet address. The ATM then transfers the crypto to the scammer’s electronic wallet. Once in their control the scammers quickly move the crypto making it very difficult to trace and recover.”
The commission offered a series of proactive recommendations to consumers to avoid becoming a victim to scam artists employing these tactics:
- Never click on links or respond directly to unexpected calls, messages, or computer pop-ups. If you think it could be legitimate, contact the company or agency, but look up their number or website yourself. Don’t use the phone number the caller or message gave you.
- Slow down. Scammers want to rush you, so stop and check it out. Before you do anything else, talk with someone you trust.
- Never withdraw cash in response to an unexpected call or message. Only scammers will tell you to do that.
- Don’t believe anyone who says you need to use a crypto ATM to protect your money or to fix a problem or to get in a great investment. Real businesses and government agencies will never do that—and anyone who asks is a scammer.
One victim identified as Tamara Glerum by AZFamily, reportedly lost $28,000 to a scammer, with the FBI stating that Arizonans overall lost about $325 million in reported Crypto ATM fraud.
As reported by ABC15, a Peoria woman reportedly lost $17,000 to such as scam, and AZ State Rep. David Marshall has introduced House Bill 2387 to crack down on Crypto ATM fraud by imposing a $1,000 daily transaction limit on the devices, requiring state operator licensing and refund policy options as well.
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
