Allstate warns of fake job opportunities

NORTHBROOK - A new survey of 2,200 American adults finds that 17% have seen or been contacted about a suspicious job opportunity this year, according to the latest edition of Allstate Identity Protection's Identity Fraud in Focus quarterly report. Among these adults, workers ages 18-34 were the most targeted for remote job scams.

The findings come as bad actors take advantage of increasing numbers of remote job listings. Nearly 21,600 fake business and job opportunities were reported in the second quarter of this year alone, according to the Federal Trade Commission, costing Americans $86 million in losses.

Cases of disability fraud - when a criminal uses stolen personal information to file for disability benefits in someone else's name - rose 85% year-over-year in Q2.

"A jobseeker can be offered a position on the spot and asked to pay for work-related supplies upfront. Once a victim sends the money, it's gone forever," said Doug Kaplan, senior vice president of operations at Allstate Identity Protection.

Unauthorized credit inquiries were also up year-over-year in Q2, increasing 116%. "Signs of identity theft require fast action," says Brian Stuart, director of customer care at Allstate Identity Protection. "It is important to investigate and dispute credit inquiries that you believe are unauthorized, not only with the credit bureaus reporting them, but also with the company that made the inquiry in the first place."