Nearly 1-in-5 U.S. Workers Contacted About a Suspicious Job Opportunity as Scammers Capitalize on Remote Work

By: The Allstate Corporation via Business Wire

September 26, 2022 at 09:19 AM EDT

The alarming trend featured in Allstate Identity Protection’s “Identity Fraud in Focus” report comes as Americans lose millions from fake job opportunities.

A new survey of 2,200 American adults finds that 17% have seen or been contacted about a suspicious job opportunity this year, according to the latest edition of Allstate Identity Protection’s Identity Fraud in Focus quarterly report. Among these adults, workers ages 18-34 were the most targeted for remote job scams.¹

The findings come as bad actors take advantage of increasing numbers of remote job listings. Nearly 21,600 fake business and job opportunities were reported in Q2 alone this year, according to the Federal Trade Commission, costing Americans $86 million in losses.²

“A fraudster may pretend to be from a reputable company and set up a phony interview over instant message,” says Doug Kaplan, senior vice president of operations at Allstate Identity Protection. “A job seeker can be offered a position on the spot and asked to pay for work-related supplies upfront. Once a victim sends the money, it’s gone forever.”

Additional Fraud Trends

Cases of disability fraud – when a criminal uses stolen personal information to file for disability benefits in someone else’s name – rose 85% year-over-year in Q2. It’s a trend we predicted in an Identity Fraud in Focus report published earlier this year.

Unauthorized credit inquiries were also up year-over-year in Q2, increasing 116%.

“Signs of identity theft require fast action," says Brian Stuart, director of customer care at Allstate Identity Protection. “It is important to investigate and dispute credit inquiries that you believe are unauthorized, not only with the credit bureaus reporting them, but also with the company that made the inquiry in the first place.”

If you are a victim of fraud, Allstate Identity Protection is committed to providing essential information, tools, and resources to help protect you. For more detailed current fraud trends, including tips on how Americans can safeguard their personal information and avoid scams, check out the full Identity Fraud in Focus report.

¹ Allstate, “Online Scams Survey,” August 2022. This poll was conducted between August 27-August 28, 2022 on behalf of Allstate by Morning Consult, among a national sample of 2,200 adults. The interviews were conducted online, and the data were weighted to approximate a target sample of adults based on age, educational attainment, gender, race, and region. Results from the full survey have a margin of error of +/- 2%.

² Federal Trade Commission, “Fraud Reports,” July 20, 2022

About Allstate

The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) is one of the largest publicly held personal lines property and casualty insurers in America, with more than 190 million policies in force and revenues of $50.6 billion in 2021. Allstate protects people from life’s uncertainties with a circle of protection including cars, homes, electronic devices, benefits, and identity theft. Products are available through a broad distribution network including Allstate agents, independent agents, major retailers, online and at the workplace. Allstate is widely known for the slogan “You’re in Good Hands with Allstate.”