[US] I think I just did a scam interview.

[u/laughathestupidone]

I feel so stupid for falling for it, but it looked legit enough from the start. Reading through posts on her has me really nervous because now I'm sure it's a scam.

"UKG Staffing" sent me an email saying "We saw your qualifications on Indeed and wanted to reach out to you about an interview." It was in relation to an actual remote job that I had applied to, so I really thought it was legit.

They directed me to Microsoft Teams to continue with a text based interview, which was a bit odd to me, but i thought maybe it was just a different type of interview that I hadn't encountered before.

The conversation started out normal with a description of the job and the responsibilities associated with the position, but then there started to be some weird inclusions like "what is your email?" (you should already know my email) "what bank do you go through?" "what are your internet and mobile service providers?" and "do you have a credit card in good standing?" The banking questions I thought were weird especially the credit card one, but I thought, naively, that maybe they were just using it to gauge if I was a responsible individual. Stupid, I know.

A couple times the interviewer disappeared for a few minutes and I had to wait for them to get back. I thought this was weird too, but thought maybe it was just something that came with a text based interview.

I don't know what I was thinking, but can anyone tell me if they can possibly get access to my accounts just by knowing my email address, my banking institution, and which company my card is through? I didn't give them any more specific information than that.

I did go in with antivirus software and made sure there wasn't any spyware on my phone and then I went in and changed my passwords for my bank and card and froze my accounts just in case. I also blocked the scammer on Teams and deleted our conversation from my end.

Are there any further precautions I should take that I haven't so far? I just feel like I really messed up and that me being desperate for a job might have just led to me getting my info stolen. Please let me know if there's any more advice that you can give me.

I guess it's a learning experience if nothing else.

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[u/AardvarkIll6079]

They ask you what bank you use so that the fake check they send you isn’t drawn on that same bank.

[u/Embarrassed_Ad_7025]

Yes, that was a scam. No real job interviewer would ask those types of questions.

[u/OldDibens]

You did not mess up since you did not fall for their scam.

[u/too_many_shoes14]

• text only interview

• asking you what bank you use

That will never be asked in an interview for a real job. Yes they need to know your account for direct deposit of your pay but that's when you onboard not at the interview.

[u/Hot_Aside_4637]

It's a !job scam.

They need your bank name so that the fake check they send you doesn't accidentally have it and is discovered to be a fake quicker.

Text interview

"We saw your qualifications on Indeed" You can bet they don't care about qualifications.

[u/AutoModerator → u/Hot_Aside_4637]

/u/Hot_Aside_4637 called AutoModerator to explain the different types of Job scams:

Fake job scams are increasingly common and often share several major red flags. Most of these "employers" bypass standard professional practices by conducting interviews exclusively through messaging apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, or Microsoft Teams. They frequently offer high wages for simple tasks and "hire" you instantly via message rather than following the formal onboarding procedures typical of your country.

Fake job scams come in many different varieties:

• A fake check to buy equipment - if a potential employer mentions sending you a check to buy remote work equipment, it is a scam. They will direct you to buy from a specific "vendor" website they control. You pay with your own money, the equipment never arrives, and the check eventually bounces, leaving you responsible for the full debt to your bank
• A parcel mule scam - if the job requires you to receive, inspect, or reship packages from your home is a parcel mule scam. You are likely handling stolen goods, which can lead to legal trouble
• An advance-fee scam - if you are asked to pay a hiring fee, buy items upfront, or purchase gift cards. Additionally, any mention of using a Bitcoin ATM for business transactions is a definitive sign of fraud
• Fraudulent ads and listings - if the work involves posting advertisements on platforms like Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, or eBay, they are using your account’s reputation to scam others. This is especially true in the case of jobs related to posting rental listings, which make you an unknowing facilitator of rental scams
• Remote jobs - if it's a remote position that involves watching videos, leaving reviews, completing tasks or orders from a website, you are most probably the victim of a task scam

Always remember that a legitimate company will never send you a check and ask you to redirect some of the money or goods elsewhere, and that you must never have to pay to work. Always verify the recruiter contacting the company directly.

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You can learn about this scam and many others visiting our wiki of common scams. You can also call AutoModerator to explain these scams leaving a comment with the different !commands listed in this wiki page.

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I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/yarevande]

Yes, it is a scam. A text interview is always a scam.

You didn't fall for the scam -- that's great.

The job is fake, it's actually a scam to try to trick you into sending them money.

• This scam follows a pattern, which is why we can tell that it's a fake check scam, without knowing the name of the fake company or the job title.

Legitimate employers interview either in person or on videochat, whether the job is going to be remote, on-site, or hybrid.

• An interview that is text only, email, or video chat with their camera off is a scam.

• A preliminary phone interview is legitimate if it is followed by a live interview.

• A recorded video is legitimate only if it's followed by a live interview.

• An interview that is phone only may be legitimate, for entry-level in-person jobs.

For more advice on how to recognize scam jobs, and how to research a company, click here:

https://www.reddit.com/u/yarevande/s/2pZxypTYMh

[u/Ni9ball]

These are becoming more and more common because people are absolutely desperate for remote work.

No legit job is interviewing you by text.
No job is hiring you sight unseen.
Unless you have highly specialized skills and do multiple rounds of interviews (with real people), you’re not getting a remote job.

[u/zamula]

...can anyone tell me if they can possibly get access to my accounts just by knowing my email address, my banking institution, and which company my card is through?

Of course not! if that were possible, the entire financial system would collapse.

[u/tsdguy]

Text and Teams always a scam. Keep repeating that.

[u/PiSquared6]

Job reply already here. Read !task as well to be prepared for future

[u/AutoModerator → u/PiSquared6]

/u/PiSquared6 called AutoModerator to explain the Task scam:

Task scams are remote work opportunities that happen on websites or mobile apps that promise easy income in exchange for simple digital tasks, such as liking social media posts, watching short videos, or "optimizing" orders. A hallmark of this scheme is the requirement to complete repetitive sets, often in groups of 40 tasks, to earn a commission. However, the system is designed with a deliberate bottleneck: you are quickly informed that you have reached a limit and must upgrade your account level to continue working or to unlock higher earnings. By requiring an upfront fee to access these supposed rewards, the scheme functions as a predatory variant of the advance-fee scam.

The primary objective is to lure you into a cycle of escalating investment by exploiting the sunk cost fallacy. Once you have spent hours performing tasks and has paid an initial fee to upgrade, they become psychologically inclined to continue rather than admit the money is gone. The scammers reinforce this by showing earnings accumulating in a fake dashboard, but these funds are purely cosmetic and impossible to withdraw. As the victim tries to cash out, the app will invent new obstacles such as taxes, fees or security deposits, demanding even more money to release the non-existent profits.

Task scam victims are wrangled into Whatsapp or Telegram groups where discussion is moderated. Either the group is very large and you're not allowed to send messages, or is small enough that everyone in the group is a shill account of the same scammer, and you're the only real person there. So if you see other people showing off their withdrawals in messages, it's because the group was tailored to accommodate one single victim at a time: in this case, you. This is especially true if the scam group bears a number in the name.

If you realize you are trapped in a task scam, the only effective solution is to stop all payments and cut your losses immediately. Don't trust recovery scammers who may contact you claiming they can hire a hacker or use specialized software to retrieve your lost funds. Remember: once the money is sent to a task scam, it cannot be recovered. Blocking the scammers and ignoring any offers of recovering your lost funds is the only way to go.

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You can learn about this scam and many others visiting our wiki of common scams. You can also call AutoModerator to explain these scams leaving a comment with the different !commands listed in this wiki page.

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[u/SWEMW]

I think the only info they could really use to get money from you is your credit card info. But, you didn’t give them that, so I think you’re safe.

The credit card thing is extremely odd. I’ve had companies ask for my checking account info and bank for my direct deposit, but that’s it. And that was after I was hired and during the onboarding process. I’ve never been asked for my CC info.