Beware bogus seasonal work, Better Business Bureau warns

Some stores around the Tri-State are already hiring seasonal workers.

But anyone looking for work-from-home opportunities to make some extra holiday cash should avoid certain job postings, according to the Better Business Bureau.

“It would be nice to buy those extra Christmas presents, those little surprises under the tree,” said Sandra Guile, community outreach specialist for the Cincinnati BBB.

However, there are some fraudsters out there taking advantage of people looking for those seasonal jobs, according to Guile.

One scheme tracked by the BBB involves writing jobs. But applicants must pay a fee to get a list.

“It should never cost you to pay for a job that you’re applying for,” Guile said.

Another issue the BBB gets complaints about is package relabeling. In one case, Guile said, they wanted personal banking information. And you don’t know what’s in the box.

“They don’t open the packages, so it could be illegal merchandise,” Guile said. “It could be gift cards. It could be who-knows-what being shipped who-knows-where.”

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It’s also a problem if the company only sends texts or emails.

“There’s nothing by phone, there’s nothing in person, that should be a huge red flag,” Guile said.

This article contains reporting by our news partner WCPO.

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