SACRAMENTO, Calif — With more job opportunities becoming available, job seekers need to be on the lookout for fraudulent posts involving ID.me.
Scammers will impersonate hiring companies and employers, gathering personal information from the job seeker in order to apply for unemployment benefits, ID.me warns on its website
Viewers have texted into ABC10 regarding Facebook jobs requiring them to utilize ID.me as part of their job application process. The two job postings include: Adidas modeling and remote online customer support for Elite Airways.
An ABC10 follower in Tennessee told us she was looking for jobs on Facebook and found a job opportunity. Shortly after, she said she received mail notices from Illinois and California unemployment agencies notifying her that she qualifies for unemployment. She asked us the following questions:
"I applied for a job on Facebook. It asked me to fill out an ID.me application, then a verification. I received a text from cal Eddie asking me to verify it was me. I did not verify because I looked up cal Eddie. And it was for unemployment. Whom should I report this to?"
After attempting to do a bit of research on her own, she realized during the verify process that the unemployment links were incorrect.
"I did my own research, the company itself is legit, however. Right after I followed their links, I began getting texts from different unemployment agencies in different states. I did not do their verify process because the unemployment links were incorrect. My phone kept freezing and going blank when I attempted to type on my own link. I notified all unemployment offices of the scam to be certain no one would be claiming under my name."
WHAT WE FOUND:
Viewers need to be aware of social engineering. According to ID.me, social engineering is the use of deception by fraudsters to trick you into sharing personally identifiable information (PII), such as your Social Security number, credit card information, etc.
Here are five common tips to keep your identity safe, according to ID.me:
1) Protect your privacy
2) Be suspicious of new social media contacts
3) Beware of job scams
4) Know who you are communicating with
Another ABC10 viewer texted us about a job scam through Facebook claiming to be an Adidas modeling company. According to the EDD, job seekers should beware of these red flags when applying for a job. EDD says popular scams include:
- Romance scams. Includes fake dating profiles or people who immediately ask for money.
- Job opportunities. Legitimate employers are highly unlikely to hire via direct message.
- Cash giveaways, rewards, or prizes. If it sounds too good to be true, it is likely a scam.
- Offers of unclaimed vehicles or personal property
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