BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) – In 2024, employment scams rose to the second most common scam in the country.

Scammers are sending text messages offering jobs with unbelievable pay, great PTO, and remote work. Victims of this scam are losing upwards of $1,500.

Carl Bates with the Better Business Bureau said the scammers will have victims pay for their training. Typically they are asked to fund the training with something non-traceable like cryptocurrency or gift cards. After they pay for the training, the scammer will stop responding.

If you receive a text like that, you should connect with the company directly to see if the job is real.

“Stop for a minute. Take a breath. Don’t get too excited, pause, and check it out. Or look online and check it out, do a little homework, and confirm that the job that’s in the text message is a legitimate job. There’s no limited job where you have to pay for your training. That’s a key thing. If that’s what you’re being asked, that’s the kind of questions you need to start asking,” said Bates.

If you believe you are a victim of this scam, you can report it to the BBB.

Get news alerts in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store or subscribe to our email newsletter here.

Copyright 2025 WBRC. All rights reserved.