GREENSBORO, N.C. — Right now, hundreds of thousands of government workers are going without paychecks. Criminals are finding unique ways to steal from them. Consumer Reports is warning people about fake jobs, loans, and calls.
Scammers are offering fake side jobs to help furloughed workers make ends meet. They almost immediately offer the job, ask for personal and financial information, then steal it.
To avoid this, don't consider a job that requires an upfront fee. Don't give your social security or credit card information by phone or email. And google any company you find with words like "scam" or "review."
Some scammers are offering fake loans using real bank names. Once you send your information, they have the ability to steal from you.
Any loan company that reaches out to you first, should be a red flag. Don't click any emails offering loans. Go to a company's website, if you're interested in applying
Finally, criminals are pretending to be from government agencies claiming your social security is in jeopardy - or you own the IRS.
Keep in mind, government agencies virtually never contact you unless you contact them first. That goes double during the shutdown, most of those agencies are barely staffed!