Texts claiming remote job opportunity are a scam

NORTH CAROLINA (WTVD) -- It's one of the top scams targeting consumers right now. Employment scams and many of these scams target you through texts.

It often starts with an unexpected text claiming to be a recruiter. It often appears to be from a well-known company, but in reality, it's not. One scam text claims that your resume has been recommended by multiple online recruitment agencies.

Alyssa Parker with the Better Business Bureau of Eastern Carolinas says, "People are still trying to make sure that they get the best job they can, right, but a lot of people want to do it at home."

Remote jobs are what Parker says makes the job sound so appealing, but she said don't act so fast, as the jobs offered in these texts are scams. She says they use legit company names to try to make it seem legit.

A major red flag of employment scams includes offers that claim you can work anywhere you want, just 60-90 minutes a day, earning $260 to $500 a day.

Parker explains how scammers get their money from you, "We have a lot of people that come to us saying that they've been scammed because they had to pay into become a part of this organization or a part of this business. That is a huge red flag. Any legitimate employer is not going to make you pay to work for them."

Another very popular employment scam to be on the lookout for involves reshipping job scams. This is where you're sent packages, and all you have to do is repackage what's inside and ship it out.

Several ABC11 viewers shared with us how they lost thousands of dollars to this scam. Besides losing money, you could also get in trouble with the law, as often the items sent to you were bought with stolen credit cards.

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That's why it is key to do your research. These texts are sent to a mass number of people, hoping to just catch one person off guard and to get their money.

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