Employment fraud surges as scammers target remote job seekers

Employment-related fraud is experiencing a significant surge in the United States, with reports to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) tripling between 2020 and 2024. During this period, reported losses escalated from $90 million to $501 million. In 2024, the FTC received over 126,000 employment complaints, representing an 18 percent increase from the previous year. The median loss per victim is approximately $2,250.

Cybercriminals are increasingly exploiting the remote work culture by hijacking corporate brand names on platforms such as Indeed. These scammers use sophisticated tactics, including creating fake domain names that closely mimic real corporate addresses and conducting fraudulent video interviews via Zoom or Microsoft Teams to build legitimacy.

Once a victim is deceived, scammers typically move to two types of exploitation: identity theft and direct financial theft. They request sensitive information like Social Security numbers and bank routing details under the guise of onboarding. Additionally, some schemes involve equipment scams, where new hires are pressured to purchase specific hardware or software licenses to perform their supposed roles.