Fake Job Scams Cost Americans $362 Million Last Year #cybersecurity #jobscam #scamalert

Americans reported losing $362 million to fake job scams in 2025, according to the FBI — more than five times the losses reported in 2023. This video breaks down how the scam works: listings posted on real job boards, multi-round video interviews, legitimate-looking offer letters, then a request to buy home office equipment through a "preferred IT vendor" via Zelle. Because Zelle payments are irreversible once authorized, victims have no chargeback protection. After the first payment, follow-up requests escalate — background check fees, expedited processing — until the recruiter disappears. A secondary wave of so-called asset recovery specialists then targets victims with upfront fees to recover lost money. The FBI collected over 10,500 recovery scam complaints in 2025, totaling $1.4 billion in losses. Sources: FBI IC3 2025 Annual Report — https://www.ic3.gov/AnnualReport/Reports/2025_IC3Report.pdf FTC Job Scams Consumer Advice — https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/job-scams More on cybersecurity, privacy, scams, and homelab on Hake Hardware. New shorts every weekday.