Scammers Target Job Seekers

Okay, this isn't art related, but artists very often need secondary jobs to get by, so I thought it would be good to post this alert:

The Better Business Bureau is warning people about a scam that is targeting job seekers. The scammers hire unsuspecting job hunters and then try to take their money.

Carmen Prather, a graduate student at UNCG, was in need of a job. She turned to Craig's List and eventually found one.

“I was supposedly chosen to be a personal assistant to a photography company and it turned out to be a huge scam,” said Prather

She said there were clues along the way like she had never met her new employer and talked only through email. She said that the first hint that something was wrong was when she had to deposit a check without ever having met her employer or spoke to them over the telephone.

Prather didn't deposit the check and called the Better Business Bureau. Officials said it's a growing problem.

“The level of the scammers is getting higher, they're doing a better job on their end, and I think also with the way the economy is people are also more susceptible,” President and CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Central N.C., Kevin Hinterberger said.

Prather says she learned a very valuable lesson when it comes to job hunting. “Just be very suspicious of everything, check everything twice,” said Prather.