Don’t apply for bogus jobs and have your personal information stolen

Scammers are posing as recruiters for National Outdoor Media with the intent of stealing personal information.

The scam goes like this: an agency receives a phone call from a person who claims to work for the company National Outdoor Media. It appears that the scammers are targeting agencies that assist low-income clients with mental health and chemical dependency problems.

The scammers use names such as Tim Lock, Michael Smithy, Mike Stanley, and Stacy Daniels. He or she asks the agency to post job openings and encourage their clients to apply.

The scammer claims to be hiring for positions that include maintenance and billboard clean up. National Outdoor Media is not hiring for these positions.

Scammers ask the applicants to provide their social security and credit card numbers. Applicants think they are getting a job, but they are actually getting their personal information stolen.

Here are some tips to help avoid applying for bogus jobs and getting scammed:

• Check for more information with the Better Business Bureau and independently confirm the employer’s identity.
• Steer clear of too-good-to-be-true offers.
• Never give an employer your credit card information.
• Avoid any job that requires you to pay money up front.
• Don’t share your Social Security number, driver’s license, or date of birth until you have confirmed that the employer and the job offer are genuine.

If you have been scammed, contact the Attorney General’s Office to file a complaint at www.atg.wa.gov/FileAComplaint.aspx.