>>> TONIGHT WE'RE EXPOSING A DANGEROUS NEW FRONTIER. THE ONLINE JOB HUNT. RIGHT NOW PLENTY OF PEOPLE ARE JOB HUNTING. >> SOME SLICK I.D. THIEVES ARE TRICKING PEOPLE. OUR CONSUMER INVESTIGATOR HAS A WARNING FOR ALL WORKERS, ESPECIALLY TECH WORKERS. CHRIS? >> HIRING HOAXES ARE EXPLODING. FAKE JOBS LISTINGS POST REAL DANGERS. TONIGHT WE ARE SHARING A SAN FRANCISCO MAN'S BOGUS RECRUITER. WE WANT TO HELP YOU JUST BEFORE THEY STEAL YOUR IDENTITY. >> IF I HAD SIGNED OFF ON EVERYTHING, MY LIFE WOULD HAVE BEEN RUINED. >> Reporter: HE WAS HUNTING FOR A NEW JOB AND UNLT PRESSURE TO QUICKLY GRAB WHAT HE COULD. >> BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENED, WAS HAPPENING OVER THE COURSE OF THE FEW MONTHS BEFORE WITH THE LAYOFFS AND THE SHAKE-UPS IN THE TECH WORLD. >> Reporter: ON A JOB WORLD, HE SPOTTED A REMOTE JOB. HE APPLIED, DID AN INTERVIEW BY TEXT ON A MESSAGING WEBSITE. AND THEN THE RECRUITER SAID I-SOLVED WAS HIRING HIM. HE HAD SHARED SOME PERSONAL INFO ON HIS APPLICATION. NOW THEY WANTED MORE. HIS BANK ACCOUNT NUMBER FOR A DIRECT DEPOSIT AND A COMPANY OF HIS DRIVER'S LICENSE. PLUS, THEY TOLD HIM TO BUY A PHONE FOR I-SOLVE BUSINESS. >> IT WAS A FAKE WEBSITE AND THEY MADE IT LOOK NEARLY IDENTICAL TO OUR OWN SITE. >> Reporter: SHE OVERSEES RECRUITING AT I-SOLVED. >> IT IS AN ACTUAL COMPANY, YES. >> Reporter: HE WAS DEALING WITH AN IMPERSONATOR. >> THIS HAPPENS VERY, VERY OFTEN. MORE OFTEN THAN CERTAINLY MOST PEOPLE REALIZE. >> Reporter: 94,000 PEOPLE REPORTED BUSINESS AND JOB SCAMS TO THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION LAST YEAR. THE CONS COST PEOPLE $367 MILLION AND IT IS TRENDING UPWARDS. CROOKS STOLE 26% MORE MONEY IN 2022 THAN 2021. THE FTC SAID SCAMMERS TARGET PEOPLE WHO WANT TO WORK FROM HOME. THAT MEANS HIGHER RISK FOR TECH WORKERS. >> I WOULD SAY DO YOUR HOMEWORK. >> Reporter: SHE IS WITH THE HR ASSOCIATION. THEY RECOMMEND A FEW EXTRA STEPS BEFORE YOU HAND OVER ANY INFO TO AN ONLINE RECRUITER. FIRST, DO A GOOGLE SEARCH FOR THE COMPANY NAME. SEE IF THE WEBSITE MATCHES THE AUTHENTIC ONE. IF NOT, BEWARE. BE LEERY OF RECRUITERS WHO TELL YOU TO BUY A FENCE OR LAPTOP FROM THEM BEFORE YOU START A NEW JOB. >> I WOULD BE CAUTIOUS ABOUT PURCHASING EQUIPMENT. >> Reporter: IT IS LIKELY A PLOY TO STEAL MONEY FROM YOU. MAKE SURE THE EMAIL ADDRESS MACHESS THE REAL WEBSITE. FIGURE OUT IF THEY ARE WHO THEY SAY THEY ARE. >> NEVER GIVE YOUR INFORMATION TO ANYONE WHO CAN'T VALIDATE THEIR IDENTITY. >> Reporter: FINALLY, INSIST ON SPEAKING TO THE RECRUITER AND TEAMMATES. IDEALLY IN PERSON. HE ONLY INTERVIEWED BY TEXT. >> IF THEY'RE ONLY DOING A TEXT INTERVIEW AND NOTHING MORE, I WOULD SAY THAT'S DEFINITELY A RED FLAG FOR A JOB SCAM. >> Reporter: SO WHAT HAPPENED WITH DIEGO. HIS FRIENDS ENCOURAGED HIM TO ASK THE RECRUITER QUESTIONS. >> I DON'T WANT TO BE SCAMMED. AS SOON AS I SAID THE WORD SCAMMED, THERE WAS RADIO SILENCE FOR LIKE TWO SECONDS AND THEY HUNG UP THE PHONE. >> HE'S GLAD HE WISED UP AND SHUT DOWN THE SCAM. HE RECOMMENDS ALL JOB RECRUITERS ASK -- HE RECOMMENDS ASKING QUESTIONS. >> BEWARE. NO MATTER HOW EXPERIENCED YOU ARE LOOKING FOR JOBS. >> Reporter: WE RECOMMENDED DIEGO LOCK DOWN HIS CREDIT REPORTS IN CASE THEY GOT ANY SENSITIVE INFORMATION. FOR ITS PART, I-SOLVED SAID IT SHUT DOWN THE FAKE WEBSITE. IF YOU SPOT A SCAM, TELL THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION. SNAP THE COMMISSION AT REPORT FRAUD. OF COURSE, YOU CAN LET US KNOW AS WELL. JUST LIKE DIEGO DID. SNAP THE
