Job recruiting scam texts may be linked to government shutdown, according to expert

""I would say [I get them] two or three times a week. Sometimes I get multiple texts in one day. A lot of it is almost catfish, where they tell you you can work from home for x amount of money per week," said Sheree Delice."

""It's too good to be true. It's usually going to offer you higher salary, something appealing, remote work, travel to exotic destinations, flexible work time," Skiba said. "Usually, there's a sense of urgency. They might say, 'Hey, if you're not interested, let us know. We're going to hop on to the next 200 people that are in line for this.' It's an old sales trick.""

""I work in IT, so we know those are spam and we automatically report them or delete them, or block the number," Delice said. "The minute you click on the URL, they could get access to your IP, find out where your location is, maybe some of your passwords.""

Scam texts disguised as job recruiter offers promise large pay, remote work, and flexible hours to lure recipients. Residents in the D.C. area report receiving multiple such messages weekly, with offers exceeding $6,000 per month or up to $500 per day. Messages often create urgency and appeal with travel or high salary. Financial crimes expert Dr. J. Michael Skiba warns of red flags including too-good-to-be-true pay, remote positions, and pressure to respond quickly. Recipients report blocking, deleting, and reporting numbers. Clicking scam URLs can expose IP addresses, locations, and possibly passwords.

Read at KOMO