This scam targets people who looking for employment. It can reach people online, through social channels, or through text message. For example, you may be offered a job as a secret shopper or be hired to promote a company or product by wrapping your car in advertisements. Job seekers may also be targeted through online employment sites. If you have uploaded your resume online, you may be at more risk.
Regardless of how they reach you and what kind of job they offer, the scammer gathers personal and financial information from you, saying it is needed to complete your employment or to pay you by direct deposit.
At some point, after you are “hired,” the scammer sends you money or a cheque to deposit into your bank account. They then direct you to withdraw all or some of the money from your bank account and forward it back to them or to a third party using wire transfer (like Western Union), cryptocurrency (like Bitcoin) or gift cards (like iTune cards). Whatever story they tell, the ending is the same—there is no job, the cheque is a fake, and you are on the hook for the money after the cheque bounces.