A million-dollar scam is targeting stay at home moms and dads across the country, according to investigators. The scheme involves a tempting offer: Work from home, part time, and make thousands of dollars a month. But finding part-time work online can be a risky business.
“We had hospital bills that we needed to pay,” fraud victim Deanna Voeld said.
So, the stay-at-home mom said she decided to look for some part-time work she could do without leaving house.
“I got an email back, saying that someone wanted to interview me and said that my resume met their qualifications.
She was told she needed to register with an online messenger for an interview. Once she did, they said, the data entry job was hers.
“They would send me a check through the mail for the software I needed for the position,” Voeld explained.
But when she got a $3,000 dollar check in the mail, she said she became suspicious. She took the check to her bank and learned it was worthless.
Investigators say the idea of making a little extra money is appealing to a lot of people and con-artists know it. In this one, you deposit the bad check, buy the software, and then send back the money you didn’t need. But if you do, you’ll learn you’ve been scammed. Deanna didn’t fall for it, but her case has launched a bigger one.
“We have people in this investigation that have significantly lost funds,” US Postal Inspector Burt Foster said.
In fact, Foster said there are 121 victims linked to the suspects involved in this case and a million dollars in losses. Foster said anyone who resists taking a phone call or having any personal contact should be a red flag.
“It helps hide them behind the scheme and unfortunately the person doesn’t have that kind of contact,” Foster said.
The investigation into this now-growing case continues. Consumer advocates say work at home scams are a top complaint. If you suspect you’ve been a victim of an online crime, you should report it to the Internet Crime Complaint Center.