BBB Says 2025 Job Scam Reports More Than Doubled as 'Video Booster' Texts Spread
Updated
Updated · Chattanooga Times Free Press · Jun 20
BBB Says 2025 Job Scam Reports More Than Doubled as 'Video Booster' Texts Spread
3 articles · Updated · Chattanooga Times Free Press · Jun 20
Summary
Nearly 50,000 employment scams were reported to BBB over the past three years, with 2025 reports alone more than doubling from 2024.
Half of 2025 reports came through text-message job pitches, often offering remote "optimization specialist" work tied to liking YouTube videos or other simple online tasks.
Victims are shown fake earnings in online accounts, then told to send their own money to "unlock" withdrawals; once paid, the scammers vanish.
Median losses have fallen since 2023 but still run about $1,000, and BBB cited a study estimating only 4.8% of mass-market fraud victims report cases to BBB or government agencies.
BBB urged job seekers to verify openings on official company sites, insist on video interviews and avoid any job that asks for upfront fees or payment to release earned money.