My Hopes for a New Job Was Ruined by a Scam

Job hunting is hard, especially if you are looking for a remote job. For several months, I have applied for ten(yes, I'm serious) work-from-home jobs with no luck. So, when an employer contacted me with a job offer, I was excited. Little did I know that hell was about to break loose.

On Thanksgiving week, I received a text from a recruiter named "David Torres" (which is most likely a fake name). "David" said that he saw my resume on Indeed and thought I would make a perfect fit for his company, Invicta Medical. The position was a remote data entry clerk earning thirty dollars per hour. I was surprised by this offer. My gut feeling was that this was too good to be true (I should've listened). I looked up this company on Google, and the website appeared legit. Despite my better judgment, I agreed to an interview. I thought that everything in my life was finally about to fall into place. Boy, was I wrong.

I was required to download an instant messaging app called Signal. The whole interview was conducted through this app. He had typical questions like "where do you see yourself in five years?". So far, everything appeared to be normal. A few days later, I was requested to follow up with the interviewer (whose fake name was "Jason Peterson"). He said that I got the job. Hooray! What's next?

This is when things get complicated. "Jason" informs me that the company will ship my new office supplies to my home. They emailed me a check to cover the cost. My mobile banking app wasn't working, so I couldn't deposit the check. But what didn't occur to me was this: why would a company send me money for equipment? Why couldn't they pay for it themselves? They should, right? All these important questions didn't come to me until it was too late.

Instead, "Jason" has me go through all these hoops to send them money out of my pocket. I was told that I would be reimbursed. No harm done. This girl wanted to impress her future employers and not cause any trouble. I sent two hundred dollars through Apple Pay, only to be told they need more money. Being the accommodating person that I am, I send more money...and more money....and more money. It got to a point where the large transactions couldn't go through because my bank wouldn't let me. That should've been a red flag.

Then, "Jason" asked me to go to the nearest store to purchase an Apple Pay gift card. Afterward, he wanted me to take a picture of my receipt. That's when the alarms finally went off in my head. Something was not right. I decided to play it safe and kindly declined the job. I also asked for my money back. "Jason" was very rude and didn't bother to help me. It didn't matter. He got what he wanted from me.

I've never felt so humiliated in my life. I still blame myself for what happened. If only I saw the signs. If only I knew better. Lucky for me, I have supportive parents. Instead of criticizing me, they assured me that it was not my fault. Anyone could be a victim of a scam.

So, remember that if God forbid, you ever get scammed. Remember that you are not alone. Hopefully, that advice helps people. That's why I decided to write about my story. In fact, I found an article online about a young woman with the exact same story as mine. I'll still look for a remote job. If there is one thing I learned is that you can never be too careful on the internet.

Want to avoid a scam? Here are some helpful articles I found:

• How To Identify A Scam Job Interview Invitation
• Job Scams
• 10 Signs A Job Posting May Be A Scam