BALTIMORE — Job seekers are hitting a snag in their search. Instead of landing a legitimate gig, some are falling into a scammer's trap. And just like you tailor your resume for each job, scammers are now tailoring their schemes to target specific workers and industries.
This wasn't a random email or generic job post. Eamonn Carr received a job offer because he listed his contact information in the Maryland Film Office directory.
"Put in their name, info, and résumé and you're just in a directory that assistant directors or producers can kind of go to if they need extra hands on a project, so that they contact you," Carr said.
As a recent college graduate, Carr was looking for production work. So when someone claiming to be film producer Jamie Buckner offered him a job, he listened.
"They said they wanted to take me on as a production assistant and that they were willing to pay $1,500, which is way more than I think anyone is ever paid to be a production assistant," Carr said.
But he wanted to know more about the opportunity and sent his name, address, and phone number as requested.
"They sent, like it was a whole list of like lighting equipment, and they said they were going to pay me up front and that they would walk me through purchasing the equipment and everything, and that's when it really clicked for me that it was like definitely not legitimate," Carr said.
The scammer even asked to meet at a local restaurant. Instead, Carr reached out to someone he trusted — his mom, Nancy, who works with AARP warning others about scams.
"So I just sent her screenshots of some of the emails I received and I was like, hey, does this look like a scam? And she said yes," Carr said.
"Anyone in my circle, I want them to have good things and so I didn't want to automatically, you know, be the negative person saying this isn't real, but it only took me a few seconds to really get out of the ether and say no, this really isn't real," said Nancy Carr, the Associate State Director for Communications with AARP Maryland.
Job scams are climbing, with 75,364 reports in just the first half of this year and a median loss of $2,100, according to the Federal Trade Commission.
READ MORE: Job seeker shares how scams don’t just target applicants — they try to use them as accomplices
"We've got people who've been furloughed. The job market here is really tight, and so there are a lot of people, especially with the holidays coming, there are a lot of people who are looking, if not for a permanent job, they're looking for at least a gig to get them through," Nancy Carr said.
Nancy's advice: pause, reflect, and protect. Don't act too quickly. Think about whether the offer and pay make sense.
Search the name of the company or hiring manager plus the words "scam" or "complaint." That's how Eamonn found a warning of this job scam online.
"You want it to work. You want it to be the job. But you just have to really reflect, talk to other people about it. Have you had experience with this company? Have you had experience with this kind of work?" Nancy Carr recommended.
No legitimate employer will send you a check, ask you to deposit it, and then buy equipment or send money back. When that check bounces, you're left owing the bank.
READ MORE: "Almost Got Snookered": Writer exposes check scam targeting freelancers, side hustlers
Click here for additional information from the FTC on how to spot and avoid job scams.