BBB tip: How to avoid employment scams when searching for summer jobs

The beginning of summer brings an influx of job-seeking students looking to capitalize on their free time by earning money over their three-month break. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, most of these students find employment in the accommodations and food service industry. However, due to the complications associated with COVID-19, employment opportunities in this industry fell by more than 2.2 million between 2019-2020. While the food service industry projects growth, it is still measurably less than pre-COVD-19 levels, causing would-be employees to look elsewhere for summertime employment.

In 2018-19, employment scams were the No. 1 riskiest scam in North America, replaced by online purchase scams in 2020, according to BBB’s 2020 Scam Tracker Risk Report….