I Was Hired To Be An Online Life Coach. Then Got Scammed For $4K. Here's How To Avoid This.

The Job

So, one morning, a couple of weeks ago, while minding my own business, I received an email with the subject heading “Join a Mission-Driven Team—Life Coach at [company name is intentionally redacted at the attorney’s request and appreciation].”

When I opened the message up, it went on to say that the human resources (HR) person had found my resume on Indeed and they thought that I would be a good fit for the virtual life coaching position that they had. Although I have been a marriage life coach for over 20 years and they were looking for someone who served more in the elderly and caregiving lane, I looked up the company and it seemed legit enough to at least grant an interview; especially since the email also included a thorough summary of the job, along with the company’s mission, core values, exactly what the job would entail and about how much I would be paid if I were to be hired.

I took the first interview and boy, when I tell you that I want to include the actual names of the HR individual and the talent acquisition manager who I dealt with but I can’t because they are real people who, as of now, we think don't know that they are victims of identity theft? Whew. Let’s keep going.

I was asked to login to schedule an interview time and then prepare to login to Microsoft Teams for a 60-minute interview on the agreed upon date. Although it’s been years since I’ve been interviewed for a formal corporate position, it seemed to go as normal and even as smoothly as I remembered. Once we were done, a couple of days later, I was asked to do a second phone interview. That lasted about 30 minutes. Later that day, I was asked to do another online interview. A couple of hours after that, I was told by the same talent acquisitions manager that I was hired.

I would be emailed onboarding forms like a tax return, direct deposit slip and information like insurance, 401(k) and the other benefits that came with the gig. I also let them know that I am a Jewish Sabbath observer, so I don’t work from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset and I already had a trip planned to see my goddaughters, so I would need to start after my return. They were fine with all of that.

Sounds great, right? Yeah, let’s keep going.

The Scam

So…as far as the talent acquisitions guy. Hmm, let’s call him “Elmo.” Elmo let me know that for the next two weeks, we would be outfitting my home with Apple equipment in order to do my virtual job well.

I’m an Android girl myself, so we discussed the type of equipment that would be needed and that the company would be providing it. Elmo also went on to explain that although they used to ship the technology and software directly, they found that working with vendors and then mailing things all over to their employees ultimately ended up delaying the process of getting them to work by their official start date, and so, they preferred giving start-up funds, along with employee sign-up bonuses, and having us make the purchases and then sending the equipment to a software technician close to us (for me, that was Atlanta; I live in Nashville).

Although I wasn’t thrilled by all of the extra steps, I ran it by a friend who has been in corporate America ever since we met in college (he even worked for Dell at some point) and so, he teased me that I am so used to not “working among them” (LOL), that I should just chill out and adjust. Once Elmo broke down what was required and the timeline of when the onboarding process would begin (all of this was also through Microsoft Teams), we got started.

He said that he would be chatting back and forth between myself their IT and the finance departments quite a bit. We discussed exactly what kind of equipment would be purchased and when, so that my “intensive training” could begin on August 25. Looking back, although his delivery was a bit on the bland side, Elmo was also professional, friendly and very thorough in his communication.

Later that day, I received my first installment check from the company’s start-up funds.

I was asked to mobile deposit it into my account and to mark “immediate availability,” so that we could start making purchases. I did and it worked: funds were almost immediately in my account. Damn near $5,000. I was told to take out $380 as a bonus for myself and to prepare to use the rest on the equipment list that we had already discussed. At first, Elmo wanted me to buy things on PayPal via a vendors list for their accounts but PayPal? Yeah, they don’t play that ish these days.

Since the vendor names weren’t a part of my contact list, not only did they kick the monies back, they flagged my account after I tried three times in a row to push it through (SMDH…and there are so many of those throughout this sordid lil’ tale).

Once I called PayPal and they released the hold, I told Elmo that I wasn’t comfortable using that method going forward and he said that they had an account at Best Buy and I could get some of the items there and then ship them via UPS to the software technician. Long story short (because this is an article, not a book), I did. I was irritated about the extra steps but my “Dell friend” said that nothing seemed abnormal since I refused to do the steps online and especially since the funds cleared and the communication was consistent.

Later that day, Elmo had a second installment check emailed to me for immediate mobile deposit to pick up some of the final things the following day. That one cleared too. However, right when I was about the head out to get the other things, when I double-checked my banking app (and so glad that I did), I noticed that the second check was declined. Elmo seemed just as alarmed and concerned as I was, so I told him that I was heading to my bank branch to see what the heck was going on.

When I spoke with the bank manager (and although I will leave the bank name out, I will shout her out because she was hella empathetic and invested), Denise stated that since the check was pending and not posted, she would not know until the following day what the issue was. I will say, for the record, that she also said that after looking at the check itself, she didn’t see any immediate red flags.

Chile…CHILE.

The next morning, I saw that both checks had been declined. I told Elmo and then went to the bank. What did Denise tell me, people? She said that both had been flagged…for fraud. And because I had already made three purchases at Best Buy, I was in the hole for the amount of those items. Meanwhile, Elmo? He was just as calm as he could be, just typing away on the Microsoft Teams app. He literally remained with me as I talked to her. He waxed poetic about how it might be a transmission issue and, if it was too much of a problem, the company would do a wire transfer to make things right.

Me? All I could hear was “fraudulent checks” and so, as Denise and I were talking it out, we decided that a good course of action would be to call the corporate office of the company to see if the HR chick and Elmo actually worked for them.

Chile…CHILE.

When I spoke to the executive assistant of the CEO of the company, I said that I wanted to ask her if two people worked for the company.

When she asked who I was and I gave her my name and told her the position that I had (supposedly) been hired for, she first sighed and then stated that she had been hearing about a nonexistent virtual life coaching position for about three weeks, that people were calling her about it from all over the country and then she semi-casually said the very names of the individuals who I was calling to ask her about in the first place. AMAZING.

Now, of course, you can already see the scam: I got hired for a job that didn’t exist and they got over $4,000 outta me in the process. Oh, but it goes deeper, my friends.

The address on the checks? It’s the address of where the “real” company used to be several years prior (so the company is wondering if a former or even current employee has anything to do with all of this).

The job package that was emailed to me? It’s legit and even has some of the benefits that were only recently implemented (the company’s attorney confirmed that).

The two individuals who I had been — eh hem — working with? They are actual people who live in the area of the real company, only they don’t work for them, and so it would appear that their identity is being used as a part of this amazing scheme.

The place in Atlanta where I sent all of the equipment to via UPS? They make international shipments (mostly to Africa), although my same Dell friend has been so pissed about all of this, that he spoke with a cop across the street from the company. The cop confirmed that he tends to be in the same location fairly consistently and he hardly ever sees any cars there. When my friend explained what happened to me, according to him, the cop said, “Let me guess: She was hired for a job and they gave her money to get her office supplies.”

Meanwhile, the attorney for the real company said that…whoever the people are have been using their logo and other materials and it has already damaged their reputation because the fake company is so closely aligned with the real one that many people are not finding out that they are not the same until after it is too late.

Just like me because, the following day, I got a threatening-as-hell letter from my bank saying that they were going to shut me down for fraud, that the amount would be written off, that I would go to collections and the debt would go on my credit for seven years. And — AND — if I didn’t have a bank account elsewhere prior to, it could prevent me from getting another bank account…period (thankfully, I have three others but…still).

And so, this means that I had to talk to Denise about all of the drama.

She then spoke with the bank manager where I first opened the account YEARS AGO to plead my case about allowing me to keep the account open…so long as I paid the debt (or as they liked to put it “until the account was made whole”). I have until the middle of next month to pay a whopping $4,110.43 — and even in that, he said that it was on the strength of his relationship with Denise and my long-term banking history that I could even get that much grace because, more times than not, with that kind of negative balance, it would just be shut down, period. SMDH.

Adding to this, upon Denise’s recommendation, I filed a police report.

The cop who took down my info wasn’t shocked but was impressed by “the wooing process” of the scammers. He then said that between the checks, the identity theft and the amount that they took (which is a felony), it would have to be pushed through to the fraud department. I will be working with them for the next few weeks on it.

And y’all — do you know that Elmo was still trying to talk to me via Microsoft Teams? He was acting like nothing ever happened and that he was still trying to get me my money back from the finance department? When I tell y’all that it makes me think of a T-shirt that I bought a friend a few weeks back that says, “Audacity Must Be on Sale” on the front of it. Elmo. He’s that guy.

And here’s what’s even wilder — today, literally as I’m typing all of this out, as life would have it, I received yet another email from another company who claimed that they want to hire me for a life coaching role in the mental health lane. On some levels, their presentation appears even more legit than the other gig (which again, the cop and attorney were both pretty impressed by — they are actually thinking that it could be an inside job, for real).

Oh, but now that I’ve experienced a $4K-plus lesson, I’ve learned a few things, and I will never be so quickly impressed.

The Warnings

Since it’s pretty common to apply for gigs online these days and since it is very apparent that criminals are going for the jugular on a whole ‘nother level right through here, I’m hoping that what I am currently going through will serve as a “beauty for ashes” moment — so that you don’t have to be victimized (because that’s exactly what it is) in the same way.

1. If you’re contacted about being interviewed for a job, do some investigating.

Call the actual company. If there is a Google number attached (the second gig had that), that’s kind of a red flag. Look up reviews on the company as well. The first one acted like they were the real company, so…this point didn’t help there; however, the second company? I think they are a made-up company that scams in a different way because their Yelp reviews were in the gutter.

Folks kept saying that, although they did receive counsel, their insurance wasn’t accepted (even though they were initially told that it would be) and so they were billed out of pocket and, as a result, hundreds and even thousands of dollars had been drained from their account by said-company. Another tip? Call the corporate office of the company to see if the people who you are talking to actually work for them. That’s a big one right there.

2. Conduct some Google image searches.

Dammit, at this point, I feel like I need to start my own Catfish: The Gigs Edition show (Nev, if I see this on MTV, I’m going to know that you stole the idea from me) because…something else about that second job interview request? It has an entire website and everything attached to it. Only the so-called HR person looks like AI and, on LinkedIn, she has no followers or activity (now what human resources person moves like that online?).

Know what else is wild: they have staff on their page yet, when I did a Google image search, pictures were either pulled from Psychology Today or the image was only in reference to the site itself (meaning, I couldn’t find it anywhere else). Yep, another red flag. A couple of names that I did find on LinkedIn, they didn’t appear to be in the profession that the website said that they were in which means that their identity is probably being manipulated too. This also probably means that the bios on their pages are made up. SMDH.

3. Pay close attention to the initial invite letter.

Again, according to the attorney for the first company, they are basically imitating a real organization. The second one, though — it looks so much like the first that it was an immediate red flag. Things like — mentioning onboarding equipment, immediately spelling out your exact salary (because we all know that companies tend to give ballpark figures and then will wait to negotiate later), referencing online interview platforms before you even reply to their first message, even hinting at direct deposit requirements to work for them…all of this is cause for pause.

4. It's okay to request a video interview for your own peace of mind.

Again, I’ve been writing for over 25 years at this point and, easily, 75 percent of the people who hired me for content, I have no idea what they look or sound like. And so yes, this really is my first time being professionally bamboozled in this manner (especially at this level). Now that I’ve gone through this, though, I may ask for video interviews. Because all I did here was text and phone ones. We live in a different time. As much “proof” of someone’s identity and existence that you can have, the better.

5. Don’t deposit anything for immediate availability.

Honestly, even when I started working for xoNecole, things went pretty smoothly. And yes, I had to fill out tax and direct deposit forms. So, the fact that those fake company clowns have all of that intel on me as well — I don’t really have a hack for that other than to report to credit bureaus to be on the lookout for potential fraud or identity theft issues.

However, I will say that the bank manager who is working with me to pay off that horrendous bill did say that scammers are so sophisticated now that checks under $10,000 can be immediately deposited without suspicion until they are thoroughly processed — and that can take up to 48 (or so) hours.

And so, you probably shouldn’t deposit a check for immediate availability (via mobile deposits) unless you personally know someone. My bank did catch the bad checks…it was 48 hours later, though. Let time do its thing.

6. Get to know your banker(s) personally.

Although this drama means it’s the first time that I got to know Denise or the other bank manager who is helping me out, I do know a few people at that bank branch — and that also helped in a might way because, honestly, with how things initially looked…the bank could’ve filed a police report on me as if I was in on the scam. I did purchase the items, after all. Developing a relationship with the people at your bank gives them the ability to know your personality and your character.

7. Don’t expect job sites or Microsoft Teams to help you out. AT ALL.

I don’t know what the deal is but when I contacted Indeed and Microsoft Teams about what was going on, all they both did (supervisors, mind you) was get defensive while low-key ranting about how they can’t control what people use their sites for. Wild and duly noted. SMDH. Honestly, I was alerting them, so that other people wouldn’t get scammed in the future yet honestly…they didn’t seem to give even half of a damn.

In fact, the supervisor at Microsoft Teams said that they couldn’t track Elmo down because “we’re just like Instagram;” then, when I mentioned how quick Instagram is to boot someone off for things like harassment or constant use of certain language, he didn’t know what to say. Bottom line, you’re kind of on your own as you’re utilizing online platforms for work. Process what I just said, not with fear yet with extreme discernment.

___

I dunno, y’all — it’s like ever since my townhouse burned down, three days before Christmas, almost four years ago and I promptly took my ass to get a pedicure, even as they were still putting out the flames, a sense of calm — ataraxia, if you will — has completely taken over me as if it’s a potent edible or something. LOL. I’m irritated. I’m a bit low on bandwidth. I’m not super shook or even close to devastated, though.

It's simply my rain and winter season and I accept that for what it is. Oh, but if I can help even one of you from avoiding this particular kind of trial, I certainly want to help. I hope that, for someone, I did.

Bottom line? Scamming? Oh, it’s alive and very well. Reportedly, 73 percent of Americans have been the victim of some sort of online scam like credit card fraud. Almost 30 percent have had their bank account or email hacked. 24 percent say that they gave their personal information away due to an online scam. And gee, looka here: “Job scams surged 118% in 2023, aided by AI. Here’s how to stop them” (CNBC).

It’s crazy out here — hell, even crazier than that. And so, please take my experience as something to serve as a very cautionary tale.

Now excuse me while I return to trying to budget out $4K…basically for nothing.

And again…SMDH. The most costly one, for me personally, EVER.

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