Job Scam Ensnares Westlake Woman, Police Investigating

WESTLAKE, OH — A Westlake woman was ripped off through a hiring scam conducted through the jobs website Indeed.com. The woman was "hired" by a company to do assistant services, but her first paycheck bounced.

Fake jobs can be posted anywhere: online, in newspapers, even on street corners (we've all seen the signs promising exuberant paychecks while we work in our pajamas on our couches). The Federal Trade Commission notes that some "companies" charge a fee for finding someone a job, or for training provided to new employees. The money is paid out and the "employee" never hears from their company again.

On November 20, the Westlake woman responded to a job advertisement posted online on Indeed.com. The ad was for a personal assistant. The entire hiring process was done only through texting and email, the Westlake Police said.

Investigators said the woman discovered the scam when her bank said her paycheck was fraudulent. The woman is out that money, police said. Investigators are still looking into the incident.

In many cases, victims of job scams are unable to recover their money, the FTC said. However, they can help prevent similar scams from befalling friends and neighbors by reporting what happened to law enforcement and the FTC.

Learn more about job scams through the FTC's information page.

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