High Unemployment Levels Continue: Leading to Increase in Scams

The latest report from the labor department shows jobless claims in the U.S. remain high.

1.43 million people filed new unemployment benefits claims last week.

More than 19 million people are still unemployed.

ONE POINT 43 MILLION NEWAMERICANS FILED FOR UNEMPLOYMENTBENEFITS LAST WEEK...AS MOR ETHAN 19 MILLION ARESTILL WITHOUT WORK.ALICIA NIEVES SHOWS US HOW THOSEUNEMPLOYMENT LEVELS ARE LEADINGTO ANINCREASE IN SCAM ACTIVITY.THERE'S ARE A LOT OF PEOPLELOOKING FOR WORK RIGHT NOW...ANDTHEREFORE, A LOT OF PEOPLE WHOARE BEING TARGETED BY SCAMMERS."I WAS ACTUALLY SCAMMED MYSELF"IN MARCH, SHORTLY AFTER AMELIABROCKMANN UPLOADED HER PROFILETOTHE GIG SITE UPWORK, SHE HAD HERFIRST EXPERIENCE WITH WHAT'SKNOWN AS AN EMPLOYMENT SCAM."ON UPWORK I WAS LOOKING FORWORK AND A JOB I FOUND WOULD PAYA LOT OF MONEY FOR IT.

I WASDESPERATE BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANTTO GO BACK TO ACTUAL OUTSIDEWORK.

"THIS PUT HER IN AVULNERABLE PLACE... WHERE SHEIGNORED SOME WARNING SIGNS."I GOT THE JOB IT SEEMED LEGIT.THEN HE STARTED ASKING, IF I AMGOING TO PAY YOU I NEED YOU TOGO BUY GOOGLE CARDS.

SOMETHINGABOUT... HE NEEDED TO PUT ME INTHE SYSTEM." SHE NEVER GOT PAID,IN FACTLOST ROUGHLY $3000 IN GOOGLECARD PURCHASES."PEOPLE ARE HEARTLESS AT THISPOINT.

NOT EVERYONE, JUST THESCAMMERS.

IT IS GETTINGRIDICULOUS." OVERTHE PAST THREE MONTHS, WHILELOOKING FOR OTHER WORK...BROCKMAN HAS COME ACROSS ATLEAST 40 OTHER JOB SCAM POSTS.INCLUDING THIS ONE, WHERE DURINGAN ONLINE INTERVIEW, THEINTERVIEWER STARTED ASKING HERFOR PERSONAL INFO AND TOPURCHASE EQUIPMENT."I CALLED THE COMPANY ANDEVENTUALLY I TEXTED HIM BACK ANDSAID 'DEAR SIR, THAT IS A SCAM.YOU DON'T WORK FOR THEM.'

AND HEBLOCKED ME."ACCORDING TO THE BETTER BUSINESSBUREAU, EMPLOYMENT SCAMS RANKNUMBER1 AS THE RISKIESTSCAMS RIGHT NOW.

A NEWLYRELEASED REPORT BY THE BBB,SHOWS53% OF THE PEOPLE TARGETEDBYEMPLOYMENT SCAMS AREUNEMPLOYED... AND ROUGHLY 75% OFTHE PEOPLE ACTUALLY SCAMMED AREIN PERSONAL FINANCIAL CRISIS.TOAVOID BEING A VICTIM OF ANEMPLOYMENT SCAM YOURSELF, THEBBBSAYS THERE ARE A FEW THINGS YOUCAN DO... THEY INCLUDE: NOTICINGIF A JOB POSTING HAS GRAMMATICALERRORS OR MISSPELLINGS, IF ITDOES IT IS USUALLY ASCAM.REMEMBERING YOU SHOULDNEVER HAVE TO PAYTO GET A JOB OR HAVE TOPROVIDE YOUT CREDIT CARD ANDBANK ACCOUNT INFORMATION.LEGITIMATE EMPLOYERS PROVIDE APAPER CHECK OPTION.

LASTLY, TRYTO RESEARCH THE COMPANY OREMPLOYER TO SEE IF THEY HAVE HADCOMPLAINTS.

IF YOU COME ACROSS APOSTING THAT YOU SUSPECTIS A SCAM OR GET SCAMMED..."YOU SHOULD GO REPORT IT.BECAUSE I DID NOT REPORT MINEUNTIL MONTHS LATER TOT HE POINTWHEREANOTHER STATE CALLED ME AND YOUDON'T WANT TO BE SCAMMED THESAME WAY."I'M ALICIA NIEVES REPORTING