Employment scams climbed to second riskiest in 2022

Employment scams are now the second riskiest consumer scams, according to a new report from the Better Business Bureau. Employment scam reports submitted to BBB Scam Tracker were up 23.1% from 2021 to 2022.

The median dollar loss of $1,500 for employment scams is significantly higher than the overall median dollar loss of $171 for all scam types.

“Employment scams, which peaked at No. 1 on our list in 2019, are seeing a resurgence,” said Melissa Lanning Trumpower, executive director of the BBB Institute for Marketplace Trust, which produced the 2022 BBB Scam Tracker Risk Report. “This is a high-touch scam in which perpetrators spend more time with their targets in the hope of stealing more money from each target.”

Employment scams rank as the No. 1 riskiest for ages 18 to 35.