Trigger Warning

Workers Beware

Regardless of political leaning, it’s safe to say the economy doesn’t always work for everyone.

That’s not controversial.

The supply of workers, ready to pick up takeout, transcribe text, participate in online studies, or any number of other gigs, jobs, and side hustles is endless.

In some cases, there’s legitimate money to be made, in others, here be monsters!

A recent headline caught my attention. I’ll break the story down for you:

• Man gets a scam call - his relative has been arrested

• Caller escalates - the relative has been kidnapped

• Caller tells the man someone is coming to pick up the money

• Car arrives

• Woman comes to the door

• Man has a gun

• Woman tries to leave

• Man fires gun three times

• Uber driver dies in hospital

This is a nightmare scenario, and an absolute tragedy.

In our last issue of the newsletter we said we’d cover the dark web next, but this story is too important not to bump that for the future.

The Article

There are a lot of issues at play here, but the important takeaway is that the scammers put an unsuspecting third party into play, and it cost her her life.

Yes, the old man was in the wrong (he’s being tried for murder).

Yes, guns outnumber children in America 6 to 1.

Yes, she might’ve lived to tell the story if she’d just stayed in her car.

But the important takeaway is that a 61-year-old gig worker, was brought into a scam completely unaware, and was killed for it.

Sadly, it is very unlikely anything will be done to address the scammers:

• The phone number the call came in from was likely spoofed

• The Uber account that scheduled the pickup was likely a stolen identity and credit card

• The destination was likely someone hired to reship packages (they won’t be paid)

Simply put, there is no trail.

Telephone carriers could play a huge role in eliminating this kind of scam, but they don’t, and that’s worth talking your members of Congress about.

But this issue is for the workers.

People who need a job, or an extra source of income, fall victim to scammers all the time.

Uber is a legit company, albeit with controversial labor practices, but it’s a real job.

The problem is, scammers need local hands and feet to move things and Uber is in the business of moving things.

Stolen names and credit cards are a dime a dozen on the dark web (not literally, but they’re cheap, and yes, the dark web issue is coming).

Money or Parcel Mule Scams

As someone who’s worked in ecommerce for over a decade, this is one I have seen a lot.

A higher end item is purchased on a stolen credit card and sent to an unsuspecting mule who reships the item.

They think it’s a job, and they enjoy the work for a couple weeks, but they never get paid, or get paid with a forged check that bounces. Then their “employer” ghosts them.

An unsuspecting mule was waiting to receive a package and ship it the scammers, or deposit it and send crypto.

They answered a job ad, or received a job-related text, and accepted.

These Jobs are Sketchy

Think of a typical job. You interview over the phone, maybe move onto a second interview over Zoom, you receive an offer letter, fill out an ADT profile, maybe go through some onboarding, or whatever.

It feels like a job.

These mule jobs start out more like:

• Text message: “HR liked your resume and would like to offer you a remote position doing one or more of the following, data entry, dentistry, teaching ESL, secret shopper, shipping, stunt man, radiologist - $1000 a week, part-time. Can you interview via Telegram or WhatsApp?

Sounds fishy, right, but when you’re desperate for cash fishy can sound like hope.

Unless you applied for one of the jobs in that random list, AT THAT COMPANY, it’s a scam.

You won’t be paid and you’ll be enabling credit card fraud and ransom scams.

Working for monsters doesn’t pay off, so please don’t take those jobs

All this is to say, the scammers do not have a local footprint. They often operate out of overseas call centers.

The people involved on this end are unaware.

You will not be getting justice by shooting an Uber driver or parcel mule.

For issue #1, click here.

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