Crime & Safety
New Scam Asks Job Seekers To Send Money; NJ Man Swindled
A Bergen County man told police he was interviewed for a financial services job, then was told he had to send money as part of "onboarding."
![A Bergen County man told police he was interviewed by Skype for a financial services job, then was told he had to send money.](https://patch.com/img/cdn20/shutterstock/23738927/20240711/115037/styles/patch_image/public/shutterstock-109125939817___11115019228.jpg)
BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — It's hard enough to be hunting for a job, but now, an ongoing scam is swindling people by saying they need to send money to get a job.
Last Tuesday, according to Glen Rock police, a resident told police they were contacted via LinkedIn about a job offer, supposedly from a Boston-based financial firm.
The resident was interviewed via Skype, and was offered the job.
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"As part of the employment onboarding process, they received a cash transfer in the amount of $3,400 to purchase work equipment through company authorized vendors," police said. "The funds were deposited in their personal account and the complainant began to make purchases using Venmo and Zelle."
But soon, the funds were flagged by Wells Fargo Bank as fraudulent.
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The victim had invested $ 2,000 of their own funds when they reached out to police. The money has not been recovered.
The Federal Trade Commission has offered advice on avoiding "Job Scams."
In the typical scam, they say, "They promise you a job, but what they want is your money and your personal information." Examples are here.
The Glen Rock Detective Bureau is investigating.
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