Imagine getting a text message that ends up turning your life into a financial nightmare.
That’s what happened to one New York woman who says she lost roughly $20,000 after getting scammed by fake recruiters, according to CBS (1).
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This is a fast-growing type of employment fraud that is exploding across the U.S. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), reported losses on job scams tripled from 2020 to 2023 (2) and CBS reports that employment scams cost Americans $630 million in 2025.
‘They will just milk you until you’re dry’
Upper West Side resident Kathryn Detweiler told CBS News that her nightmare started with a simple text message from someone who claimed to be a recruiter.
To make the offer seem real, she explained “they used the name of a former employer of mine to give it credibility.” They directed her to what appeared to be a professional marketing platform connected to brands like Strava, AXS Tickets and Monopoly.
Her job, supposedly, was to approve online ads. But there was a catch: She had to use her own money upfront to “fund” the advertisements, with promises that she would later be reimbursed and earn a profit.
At first, the arrangement appeared to be legitimate, since Detweiler said she invested a small amount of around $18 and quickly received a payout of roughly $120. That built trust and encouraged her to continue.
Over the following months, she deposited more and more money while the platform displayed what appeared to be a growing account balance.
Things weren’t as they seemed since whenever Detweiler attempted to withdraw her earnings, the company allegedly told her she needed to deposit even more money first.
Eventually, her family members intervened and recognized the scheme for what it was.
“I sort of just broke down and my family found me, and I told them the whole story, and they just told me, ‘Kathryn, this is a scam, you have to get out of it,’” Detweiler said. “They will just milk you until you’re dry. There will be nothing left.”
The scammers allegedly used a website designed to mimic a legitimate UK-based marketing company called Mediareach. The real company later confirmed that fraudsters had cloned portions of its website and that it does not operate in the U.S.
For Detweiler, the financial fallout has been devastating.
“It has made everything so incredibly tight,” Detweiler said. “I don’t have money to buy groceries a lot of weeks.”
Read More: Non-millionaires can now hoard property like the 1% — how to start with as little as $100
How to protect yourself from job scams
With more recruitment happening online these days, job seekers need to be on the lookout for these types of scams that are becoming increasingly sophisticated.
The FTC warns that scammers are pretending to be recruiters, staffing agencies or recognizable companies to gain victims’ trust. Fraudsters often contact people unexpectedly through texts, WhatsApp, Telegram or social media with promises of flexible remote work and quick earnings (3).
And in an increasingly challenging job market, scammers are preying on people’s struggle to find work amidst the high cost of living.
The FTC says legitimate employers will never require workers to deposit money, purchase cryptocurrency, pay upfront fees or fund company transactions using personal accounts. The Better Business Bureau echoes that advice, with BBB Metro New York president Claire Rosenzweig calling it “insidious” and telling CBS News: “If you have to pay to get paid, it’s a scam. Don’t do it (4).”
The FBI (5) has also warned that scammers will often go so far as to create fake websites that closely resemble real businesses making the scam more challenging to spot.
Here are some red flags to watch out for:
Requests to send money
Job offers that arrive unexpectedly
Pressure to act quickly
Promises of high pay for simple tasks
Requests to move conversations to encrypted messaging apps
Requests for cryptocurrency payments or bank transfers
Not being able to speak with a manager or HR representative in person or on video
The FTC recommends reporting suspicious job offers through its fraud reporting portal (6) and cautions that if you’ve sent any money, to keep an eye on your accounts. You should also verify companies independently before responding to job offers. Instead of clicking links sent by recruiters, job seekers should visit official company websites directly, search for verified contact information and confirm whether the role actually exists.
As job scams continue to surge nationwide, the smartest way to protect yourself is to be skeptical of any offers that seem too good to be true and do your research. As for Detweiler, she’s hoping police can help her figure out who took her $20,000.
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Article Sources
We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our ethics and guidelines.
CBS News (1),(4); Federal Trade Commission (2),(3),(6); Federal Bureau of Investigation (5)
This article originally appeared on Moneywise.com under the title: ‘They will just milk you until you’re dry’: New Yorker loses $20,000 to a fake job offer that started with a simple text
This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
