North Carolina woman falls victim to widespread employment scam, racking up $60,000 in credit card debt

Employment fraud is on the rise as criminals use artificial intelligence to create fake job offers and steal money. One North Carolina woman learned this the hard way. Rebecca Adami of Fayetteville fell for a scam that cost her a staggering $60,000.

Job scams are set to skyrocket by 118 percent in 2023 compared to the previous 12 months, according to a recent report from the Identify Theft Resource Center. Thieves typically pose as recruiters and ask for sensitive personal and financial information during a job interview or as a requirement for a job.

That’s exactly what happened to Adami, who was lured in by a person she was exchanging romantic messages with. When he came upon she was in search of work, he offered to connect her with a job opportunity, ABC11 reported.

“He knew I wanted the job, so he put me in touch with this man,” she said. told local reporters.

The so-called recruiter sent her documents for a position overseeing the charity’s funds, and to Adami, all the pieces seemed legit. She accepted the offer and was instructed by her recent boss to set up bank accounts for the job.

“I set up a checking and savings account in my name, but separate ones, to keep their money in check,” she told ABC11. Unfortunately, Adami says she shared all of her checking account and credit card numbers along with her boss, who then went on a shopping spree, assuring Adami the costs can be refunded.

“He had all my information, so he started charging all my cards. Any equipment, anything sent here, was sent here. Then I sent it overseas,” she said.

The charges quickly mounted into the 1000’s, and Adami, feeling uneasy, demanded that her boss pay them off. The fake charity did indeed write off the complete debt, bringing her balance back to zero. But that was just a part of a plan to squeeze more cash out of Adami. A couple of days later, her “boss” ran up her credit card again, and to make matters worse, the previous payments he had made were reversed. Suddenly, she found herself in massive debt.

She also received checks from her boss in her name, one for $32,000 and the opposite for $35,000. She was instructed to deposit them into her account after which send the cash to another person. When her bank informed her that the checks were bad, the sunshine bulb finally went off and she or he realized she had been scammed.

“If I had deposited that amount into my account and sent money from it, I would also be liable for everything,” she said.

Although she reported the fraudulent charges, she claimed her credit card company told her her hands were tied because she personally made all the costs in her name. “I don’t have money to do anything, I don’t have money to go anywhere. I don’t have money. It’s really ruined my life,” she told reporters.

The typical victim of employment fraud is estimated to lose $2,000 Federal Trade Commission.

While Adami’s case is extreme, the chances of being scammed by a job posting are growing. Consumers reported losing $367 million to employment scams in 2022, a 76 percent year-over-year increase, making it certainly one of the highest 10 scams reported to the FTC. In addition to scams like Adami’s, criminals also use reputable job sites like LinkedIn and other platforms to find victims, often offering pay and job flexibility which might be too good to be true.

The FTC at all times recommends this plan of action. independent research on the hiring company. Contact them directly with legitimate contact information and search for his or her name using the words “scam,” “review,” or “complaint.” Importantly, never give money up front to a brand new employer.

“No honest employer will ever send you a check and then tell you to buy supplies, gift cards, or anything else and then send the rest of the money back,” they advise.