College Grad Scammed Into Buying a New Computer for Job That Never Existed, Company Responds
Published Aug. 10 2023, 9:05 p.m. ET
Whether you're a fresh college graduate, need a new place of work, or are even just a little down on your luck in the market, it's tough for anybody to find a new job. No one likes to have to send out resumes and cover letters out into the void with the hope that someone will get back to you with some good news, and that's even before you have to prepare for an interview.
The process is arduous enough for anyone, especially for college grads looking to get their start.
Unfortunately, when you're that new to the job market, it can be difficult not to notice the signs of an especially suspicious job posting. To that end, Jenn on TikTok (@lolleavemyspamalone) shared her own horror story about being hit by a job offer that turned out to be a scam.
When all was said and done, she ended up having to buy a computer in a transaction that ended up not actually taking place. We break down what Jenn went through and even spoke to the company that was implicated.
A woman was tricked by a new job scam that made her by a new computer.
Jenn divulged all the details in a tearful TikTok post in early August 2023. She had gone through an interview process with a company claiming to be called Bold Business. Though she had her interview on a strange app called Wired (first red flag), she had gotten a "really really good offer" shortly after.
She tried to do her due diligence in making sure it wasn't a scam right up until the onboarding process with the company. Unfortunately, the job that she thought could have been her big break became the exact opposite.
After the onboarding, she was sent a check that she was told to use to buy a computer and other work supplies. Upon using it, however, she was notified by her bank that her account had been drained into the negatives. In all likelihood, this job offer was an elaborate scheme to trick Jenn out of her money.
Jenn posted her initial TikTok as a cautionary tale to others who may fall victim to the same scams, pleading for them to always double-check job postings that sound too good to be true.
However, she has since received an outpouring of support from folks who offered advice on how to get her money back as well as even heads-up on open (legitimate) job listings at other companies.
Since the initial TikTok, folks have been following Jenn's job search escapades as she goes through job listings and interviews. She hopes to land a job in social media content creation and social media management.
As of this writing, she's been keeping her followers informed on her job hunt.
Bold Business responded to Jenn's claims she was scammed.
She even received correspondence from the real Bold Business, who claim that whoever used their name in their scam is not associated with their company or brand.
We reached out to Bold Business, who told us that their job listings are only ever posted on their own career page and that they wouldn't be on other sites.
"Any other links or emails originating from anyone claiming to be and employee of Bold Business LLC are fraudulent," they told Distractify. "This includes emails with the words 'apply within' in the address."
To that end, Bold Business even reached out to Jenn herself to offer her a more legitimate job interview at their company. As of this writing, she has not yet posted any updates on how the interview went.
Job hunting is hard for everyone and can easily become a frustrating process at any point. However, no matter how desperate things seem, it's always important for anyone to keep tabs on a job offer that sounds a little too juicy.