Military spouses among those hardest hit by employment scams
Some scammers pretended to hire for remote career opportunities, which are particularly attractive to the military spouse community. (Pxfuel)
With employment scams on the rise since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, new research shows members of the military community are among the hardest hit.
Military spouses and veterans were more likely to fall for scams and lose more money than victims who were not affiliated with the military, according to a Better Business Bureau report released in late June. Their recent survey of more than 10,000 people in the U.S. and Canada who had sent in reports through the organization’s Scam Tracker showed 19.2 percent of targeted military spouses and 16.6 percent of veterans were victimized, compared to 15.5 percent of survey respondents with no military connection.
On average, veterans lost out on $1,905, followed by military spouses at $1,825 and service members at $1,680. For non-military victims, the average loss was much lower at $1,000.
“Ripping off anyone is reprehensible, but scamming those selflessly serving our nation is particularly repugnant,” said Barry Moore, a veteran and president of the Better Business Bureau serving the central Virginia region.
Employment scammers typically lead someone to believe they are applying for or are promised a new job. They ask for personal information, which can be used for identity theft, or ask them to send money for things like training or equipment, the report states.
Many scam artists promoted work-from-home opportunities that can be especially attractive for military spouses, or impersonated larger companies, such as Walmart and Amazon. They tended to prey on those who were already financially vulnerable. According to the report, 53 percent were unemployed at the time they were targeted; 73 percent did not have enough income to cover their monthly expenses.