Military Wife Out $15K In Employment Scam (the inside story)

Military Wife Out $15K In Employment Scam (the inside story)

According to Better Business Bureau (BBB) research, employment scams are common in the job market and target all workers. However, military spouses and veterans are targeted more frequently and lose more money than civilians.

As per the reports, the COVID-19 pandemic has created a perfect storm for scammers because millions of people suddenly lost their jobs. Since mid-March of 2020, when businesses across the country began to close, millions of Americans have made first-time claims for jobless benefits.

Military spouses were the most common victims of job scams, with 19.2% reporting a financial loss. In addition to the money lost to scammers, some victims worked but were never paid. Personal information was also compromised and could potentially lead to identity theft.

Ashlyn Drake, a military spouse since 2015, said she needed a flexible work-from-home job to help support her family once they relocated to Alaska.

She was given checks to buy office supplies and was told to transfer money to other locations. Upon inquiring with the hiring manager, she was assured that it was the typical procedure. By the time Drake realized that she was a victim of fraud, her bank account was negative $15,000.

She contacted the individual who had listed the position and later discovered that the person who submitted the position did so from a stolen Facebook account. Her USAA bank account had been frozen. The checks had been falsified. Many other women in spousal groups were also victims of the same fraud. 

So, how are spouses expected to distinguish between real and scam employment opportunities? According to J.J. Montanaro, a financial planner with USAA, there are a few important red signals. For information on work frauds, he recommends starting with the Federal Trade Commission's website.

"You've heard it before, but if it appears too good to be true — no qualifications, quick money, etc. — it probably is a scam," Montanaro added.

He also invites the victim of an employment scam to go to reportfraud.ftc.gov for advice on what to do next.