In the post-pandemic world, jobs can be hard to come by, and a text from a recruiter might feel like salvation. Unfortunately, a job offer text could be part of what’s known as a “pig butchering” scam. Here’s what you should watch out for.

What Is a Pig Butchering Scam?

Faux-job offer messages seem to be a new breed of texting scheme, “piggy”-backing off the wrong number “pig butchering” scam that’s been around for years. This type of scam is designed to work over time, during which manipulative organizations communicate with you and earn your trust, before ultimately running off with your money. The term “pig butchering” comes from the idea of fattening a pig only to slaughter it in the end.

Job scams are perfect long-term schemes, as initial payments lull you into a false sense of security. Then, when you’re comfortable, the whole process ends, and they take your money.

Receiving Text Message Job Offers

According to CNBC, job scams surged 118% in 2023, so if you’ve received a text containing an out-of-the-blue job offer, you’re certainly not alone. Often sent via WhatsApp or Telegram, these messages have picked up steam post-pandemic, as more people are strapped for cash and remote work is commonplace.

As a freelance writer who has applied for jobs on various platforms, I have received my fair share of these “offers.” Luckily, I can share what I know about spotting the fine line between what’s real and what’s fake.

These texts often tout a remote job with an unrealistic work-to-pay ratio. For example, you might be offered $800 for only 30 minutes of work per day. The “recruiters” will typically be unconcerned with your experience level. If it sounds too good to be true, well, it probably is.

The Dangers of Job Offer Scams

You might wonder how an offer of paid work could turn into a money grab, and the reality is that job offer scams evolve in various ways.

Task Scams

Some “recruiters” use the sunk cost fallacy with what’s known as a task scam. Essentially, the scammer will assign you some simple tasks—the same “easy” work touted in the initial offer. Somewhere down the line, the supervisor will put up a blocker, requiring you to pay a nominal fee to continue working on tasks or get to the next level. Because you’ve already invested time in the tasks, you’ll be more apt to pay and continue.

Advanced Fee Scams

Closely related to and often coinciding with task scams are advanced fee scams. As referenced in the above example, a scammer might impose some arbitrary toll or account minimum for you to continue work. For instance, if your task earnings at the end of level one amount to $84, you need to pay $16 to bring your balance to $100 to begin level two. With the promise of making much more money at higher levels, $16 doesn’t feel like a big deal—until you never see any of that money back.

Another common advance fee situation related to job scams is a work-from-home equipment purchase. The fake job will offer you something like $2,000 to buy a work-from-home setup. The representative will send you a check as an advance or reimbursement for those purchases, but you better believe the check will bounce.

Crypto Scams

Many of these job scams pay their victims—or “employees”—in cryptocurrency. This is usually written off as a result of the companies being international, where cryptocurrency is simply the easiest way to convert payment. The reality is that crypto is ripe for scams. Some cryptocurrencies, like Monero, are completely anonymous, making them a perfect payment method for criminal activity.

As a new employee, a recruiter will have you sign up for a crypto wallet like Trust Wallet or Binance, where you’ll manage your payments. You’ll be instructed to send Bitcoin to level up, as described above. Unfortunately, there is no way to recover crypto payments once you have sent them.

Recovery Scams

This brings us to recovery scams. Unfortunately, a job offer scam can easily lead to a recovery scam. Should you lose money to a fraudulent business, particularly in the form of cryptocurrency, you might feel desperate to get it back. A recovery scam operation will reach out to you and offer a way for you to recover your funds. They charge a fee for their services and run away with the cash.

What to Do if You’re Not Sure About a Job Offer Text

If you are on the fence about a job offer, here’s are the key issues you need to watch out for.

Potential Red Flags

Although these characteristics on their own don’t necessarily denote a scam, more than one of these qualities should push you to look the other way.

• You receive an unsolicited job offer via a messaging app like WhatsApp or Telegram.
• When you select the phone number from which you received the offer, it appears to have been bought on Fragment, a platform that sells messaging usernames.
• There are noticeable grammar, spelling, or punctuation mistakes in the text exchange.
• The profile image attached to the number is inappropriate for a work setting.
• Text responses come in a barrage of messages, sent faster than a real person could type. This usually implies script copying or bot behavior.
• The recruiter requests you purchase work-from-home equipment from a specific supplier, for which the “company” will cover via a check.

Questions To Ask

You can also ask follow-up questions to a recruiter or Google to feel more confident about a job opportunity.

• How am I paid? If there’s mention of converting currency to USTD, this is a cryptocurrency, and you should be wary.
• The US Federal Trade Commission suggests calling the company to confirm its legitimacy. This means calling the number you find in a Google search for the company, not a number given to you by the recruiter.

While job offers can be a beacon of hope, it’s worth the effort to ensure you’re not going to put yourself in a risky position. If the job is legitimate, the company will be able to answer your questions. And if it doesn’t feel right, even if you’ve already invested time, it’s best to cut your losses. It’s easy to block and report spam numbers on WhatsApp and Telegram. Another opportunity will come along.