New work-from-home scams prey on those looking for work, lead to identity theft, report says

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A new scam is preying on those looking for work.

One victim in the Chicago area had her identity stolen.

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Most job scams are sent via text, email or posted on social media.

A local victim, Mattie Podborny, found a job posting on what looked like a legitimate website. It was also more believable because the victim had a face-to-face interview and a written job offer. Still, her identity was stolen.

"Be careful, it could seem very legit and it's not," Podborny told the ABC7 I-Team.

She was hoping to work from her Fox Lake home, so she applied online for a customer service position with a medical group on a website which looked legit.

"They sent me a job offer letter and an I-9 and W-2 to fill out," Podborny said. "We hadn't seen discrepancies in the paperwork."

A Zoom interview was set up, she said.

"We had a face to face interview," Podborny said.

She was emailed a letter offering her the job and an employment agreement which looked real, so she quit her current job. Then, she was emailed a list of remote office equipment she needed to purchase with a check for $8,950 that was being sent by mail.

"They told me to mobile deposit it," Podborny said. "I knew right away it wasn't right. The company on the check isn't even the medical company I applied for."

Like most work-form-home scams, they sent her a counterfeit check and asked her to send a portion of the money back. Those scam checks initially clear then they bounce. Thankfully, she didn't cash it, but now she can't track down the people who interviewed her and she believes that the scammers stole her identity.

"Not only did they get my birth certificate, they have my social security number, they have my driver's license and my passport," Podborny said. "They have everything and there is nothing I can do about it."

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"We've seen the scams really increasing at the Better Business Bureau ever since the pandemic," Chicago area Better Business Bureau President Steve Bernas said.

He advises to beware of anyone asking for too much personal information. Research emails and phone numbers and make sure they are tied to an official business, so he said to also try to meet in-person to verify the employer.

"You have to do your due diligence and checking out these offers from these individuals by calling the company itself directly," Bernas said.

The BBB recently issued a study on the rise of job scams.

"The most at-risk age group is between 18 and 34," Bernas said. "Times have changed and more interviews are done online, not in person and guess what, these people can be all over the world."

Bernas said the biggest red flag is when a company sends one of those checks to buy supplies.

"You'll see the job is legitimate, but the recruiter is not legitimate," Bernas said. "So they are using someone else's name or website."

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If you cash the check and spend the money, you're on the hook with your bank.

"I'm very happy and relieved that I didn't cash that check," Podborny said. "I don't know where I'd be now."

The ABC7 I-Team has reached out to the website where she applied and have not heard back.

The BBB says you must do your homework before giving out any of your information. They recommend making sure the emails you receive from perspective employers, match the company they say they are with, and be aware that scammers are using AI to create fake-jobs that fit your exact resume, making the job too good to be true.