Job Offer Scam: Arthur’s Story
After a long career, a retiree is faced with physical problems and returning to the work force as a result of a scam.
This story is part of Operation Shamrock’s Survivor Stories series.
Arthur has experienced a lot in his 50 years on the job. He’s had the type of exciting, varied career that many of us can only dream about.
A child of immigrants, Arthur started working before he was in high school. He worked as a longshoreman on the eastern seaboard to put himself through college. Then he worked for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the Middle East and spent time in Antarctica. He worked for a major power utility, a cruise ship company, and was among the first 200 employees at Oracle.
So, how is Arthur spending his time in retirement? He’s looking for work. Why? In a little more than two months’ time, scammers stole more than $100,000 of his life savings.
“I have to forgive myself and that’s one of the hardest things to do.”
A Great Opportunity
Arthur was recovering from the loss of his wife, who passed away after three excruciating weeks in the ICU. He was searching for purpose and for something to fill his days when someone reached out to him about a part-time job offer. Arthur looked up the company on Reddit and Quora. He even checked the signature of the company’s founder. Everything looked legitimate. So he participated.
Like many job-based scams, Arthur was eventually prompted to deposit his own money to facilitate transactions. Then, he had to pay fees and taxes to reclaim his money and profits. Eventually, he caught on, stopped putting in money, and the scammers went dark on him. But by that point, Arthur had taken money from his IRA, a line of credit on his house, and credit card convenience checks.
The Impact of the Job Offer Scam
We often focus on the financial impact of scams: According to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, scammers stole more than $16.6 billion in 2024, a 33% increase over 2023. Less often discussed are the physical, mental, and emotional impacts on people who lose money to scammers.
Arthur didn’t leave his house for five weeks. He missed Thanksgiving and Christmas with his daughter and granddaughter. He lost 35 pounds. His hair started falling out, and his teeth got loose.
Arthur’s loss wasn’t just financial; it impacted his well-being.
Billions are transferred to criminals each year, thousands of lives are devastated, and victims suffer long-term impacts. Stopping the scammers requires education and collaboration among a complex group of organizations, including law enforcement, government agencies, financial firms, and social media companies.
That’s what Operation Shamrock is all about.
Take Action
Do you have a survivor story? Connect with our team to share your experience.
