My 18 year old was scammed out of 3K on her first day as intern

[Anonymous]

This happened at my company, with a full time experienced employee, on company equipment and email. Our firm introduced new protocols after this, namely just a big banner on any external email warning caution.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well, my daughter and I talked about it. She said that she regularly receives requests for this sort of stuff on Instagram and other social media teens use and she knows it's a scam. With this one, she is still wondering why her radar wasn't up with this situation. She's dealt with weirdos in her previous retail job and knows when and how to brush them off.
My guess is that it's because this email was coming from ostensibly an authority figure at her first office job during her first hour onboarding and logging onto Outlook. (It was not the most comprehensive onboarding of course). She was in automatic worker mode. Mix that in with a kid who's always done as instructed by teachers, parents, people in authority.
I'm trying to encourage her to talk to her high school about it next spring after all the exams are over. Like I said, no matter how many times I told her about these things happening to people we know, family members too, it didn't compute that she would be entering that adult world of scammers. She thinks problem adults are like the homeless and drug addicts we see on the streets and subway who panhandle her. It didn't occur to her that crooks could infiltrate a white collar mileau. If someone her age had given a presentation about how they were scammed at their first job, this may have registered with her more fully. So if she helps other kids avoid this situation, I think it would give a positive twist to the situation.

Nice update.

Everyone should watch this: https://www.tiktok.com/@lolleavemyspamalone/video/7262920328718863658

[Anonymous]

Do college students really get full remote job offers? I am a teacher so I have no idea about remote jobs. I thought those jobs were highly coveted and only people with years in the company were offered remote work.

[Anonymous]

So downloading outlook had nothing to do with it. This, like most cyber fraud, is committed against people who let the thieves by falling for a dumb scam. Get away from this internship place asap. They think she is a moron and nothing good can come of it.

The fact that she thinks homeless people panhandling are more dangerous than white collar criminals/scam artists/other fraudsters is terrifying. Work on that instead of telling the company she should not have downloaded Outlook--presumably a web email that requested the gift cards would have worked just as well as one received in the native app.

[Anonymous]

OP here - update. The company decided to reimburse her almost the full amount ((90%). They sent her company computer equipment and had her uninstall the programs they had her put in.
And surprisingly, she is still going to be paid by the hour. They are trying to make her whole so she is a very lucky girl.
I came home yesterday to see a huge pile of ripped open gift cards on the dining table. She was organizing them in case the police follows up on her report. The sight was kind of shockingly cinematic, like a scene from a drug bust where all the booty is piled up dramatically below a pendant light. Seeing the physical items is much more visceral than hearing about it and I couldn't help but wonder what was going through her mind when she was ripping this stuff open. I asked her and she said she just kept wondering when the boss would pay her back.
At that point, it occurred to me that because job came from someone in our social circle, that also led her to relax her guard. It might also have compelled her to comply with the elders in her social circle. Ugh, at least she wasn't led into joining a cult.
To all the naysayers who can't believe a fresh high school graduate could snag an internship, I would almost have agreed and only a month ago thought summer opportunities were pretty much closed out.
My kid is going on a funded gap year program in Asia and the company has a lot of interest in the Asia market which is probably why they are interested in working with her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would bet anything this kid has yet to receive a single paycheck or paystub and OP can’t see or admit the entire job is a scam

Well according to the OP, Friday was her first day of work. She had a “summer internship” that started on Aug 10.

So yes, no paystub or actual paycheck yet probably showing this is a legit company with a tax ID and taking out taxes and actually dispersing money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here - update. The company decided to reimburse her almost the full amount ((90%). They sent her company computer equipment and had her uninstall the programs they had her put in.
And surprisingly, she is still going to be paid by the hour. They are trying to make her whole so she is a very lucky girl.
I came home yesterday to see a huge pile of ripped open gift cards on the dining table. She was organizing them in case the police follows up on her report. The sight was kind of shockingly cinematic, like a scene from a drug bust where all the booty is piled up dramatically below a pendant light. Seeing the physical items is much more visceral than hearing about it and I couldn't help but wonder what was going through her mind when she was ripping this stuff open. I asked her and she said she just kept wondering when the boss would pay her back.
At that point, it occurred to me that because job came from someone in our social circle, that also led her to relax her guard. It might also have compelled her to comply with the elders in her social circle. Ugh, at least she wasn't led into joining a cult.
To all the naysayers who can't believe a fresh high school graduate could snag an internship, I would almost have agreed and only a month ago thought summer opportunities were pretty much closed out.
My kid is going on a funded gap year program in Asia and the company has a lot of interest in the Asia market which is probably why they are interested in working with her.

They are interested in her because she will travel to Asia in the future? Lady you and your daughter are both not smart.

Why is she being reimbursed if she has the gift cards in her possession?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here - update. The company decided to reimburse her almost the full amount ((90%). They sent her company computer equipment and had her uninstall the programs they had her put in.
And surprisingly, she is still going to be paid by the hour. They are trying to make her whole so she is a very lucky girl.
I came home yesterday to see a huge pile of ripped open gift cards on the dining table. She was organizing them in case the police follows up on her report. The sight was kind of shockingly cinematic, like a scene from a drug bust where all the booty is piled up dramatically below a pendant light. Seeing the physical items is much more visceral than hearing about it and I couldn't help but wonder what was going through her mind when she was ripping this stuff open. I asked her and she said she just kept wondering when the boss would pay her back.
At that point, it occurred to me that because job came from someone in our social circle, that also led her to relax her guard. It might also have compelled her to comply with the elders in her social circle. Ugh, at least she wasn't led into joining a cult.
To all the naysayers who can't believe a fresh high school graduate could snag an internship, I would almost have agreed and only a month ago thought summer opportunities were pretty much closed out.
My kid is going on a funded gap year program in Asia and the company has a lot of interest in the Asia market which is probably why they are interested in working with her.

They are interested in her because she will travel to Asia in the future? Lady you and your daughter are both not smart.

Why is she being reimbursed if she has the gift cards in her possession?

Obviously she gave the scammers the numbers in the gift cards. For these scams, do you think people are sending them the physical cards? That would be a pretty big tip-off, no?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here - update. The company decided to reimburse her almost the full amount ((90%). They sent her company computer equipment and had her uninstall the programs they had her put in.
And surprisingly, she is still going to be paid by the hour. They are trying to make her whole so she is a very lucky girl.
I came home yesterday to see a huge pile of ripped open gift cards on the dining table. She was organizing them in case the police follows up on her report. The sight was kind of shockingly cinematic, like a scene from a drug bust where all the booty is piled up dramatically below a pendant light. Seeing the physical items is much more visceral than hearing about it and I couldn't help but wonder what was going through her mind when she was ripping this stuff open. I asked her and she said she just kept wondering when the boss would pay her back.
At that point, it occurred to me that because job came from someone in our social circle, that also led her to relax her guard. It might also have compelled her to comply with the elders in her social circle. Ugh, at least she wasn't led into joining a cult.
To all the naysayers who can't believe a fresh high school graduate could snag an internship, I would almost have agreed and only a month ago thought summer opportunities were pretty much closed out.
My kid is going on a funded gap year program in Asia and the company has a lot of interest in the Asia market which is probably why they are interested in working with her.

They are interested in her because she will travel to Asia in the future? Lady you and your daughter are both not smart.

Why is she being reimbursed if she has the gift cards in her possession?

I don't think you should be accusing people of being "not smart".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here - update. The company decided to reimburse her almost the full amount ((90%). They sent her company computer equipment and had her uninstall the programs they had her put in.
And surprisingly, she is still going to be paid by the hour. They are trying to make her whole so she is a very lucky girl.
I came home yesterday to see a huge pile of ripped open gift cards on the dining table. She was organizing them in case the police follows up on her report. The sight was kind of shockingly cinematic, like a scene from a drug bust where all the booty is piled up dramatically below a pendant light. Seeing the physical items is much more visceral than hearing about it and I couldn't help but wonder what was going through her mind when she was ripping this stuff open. I asked her and she said she just kept wondering when the boss would pay her back.
At that point, it occurred to me that because job came from someone in our social circle, that also led her to relax her guard. It might also have compelled her to comply with the elders in her social circle. Ugh, at least she wasn't led into joining a cult.
To all the naysayers who can't believe a fresh high school graduate could snag an internship, I would almost have agreed and only a month ago thought summer opportunities were pretty much closed out.
My kid is going on a funded gap year program in Asia and the company has a lot of interest in the Asia market which is probably why they are interested in working with her.

They are interested in her because she will travel to Asia in the future? Lady you and your daughter are both not smart.

Why is she being reimbursed if she has the gift cards in her possession?

I don't think you should be accusing people of being "not smart".

Seriously.

[Anonymous]

OP she is very lucky. I'm not sure what any of this has to do with her using her own computer or installing company software. This happened because someone set up a fake external email address and hooked her into a scam. It could just as easily have happened on a company computer and whether she uses a browser or an installed outlook program to check her email.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here - update. The company decided to reimburse her almost the full amount ((90%). They sent her company computer equipment and had her uninstall the programs they had her put in.
And surprisingly, she is still going to be paid by the hour. They are trying to make her whole so she is a very lucky girl.
I came home yesterday to see a huge pile of ripped open gift cards on the dining table. She was organizing them in case the police follows up on her report. The sight was kind of shockingly cinematic, like a scene from a drug bust where all the booty is piled up dramatically below a pendant light. Seeing the physical items is much more visceral than hearing about it and I couldn't help but wonder what was going through her mind when she was ripping this stuff open. I asked her and she said she just kept wondering when the boss would pay her back.
At that point, it occurred to me that because job came from someone in our social circle, that also led her to relax her guard. It might also have compelled her to comply with the elders in her social circle. Ugh, at least she wasn't led into joining a cult.
To all the naysayers who can't believe a fresh high school graduate could snag an internship, I would almost have agreed and only a month ago thought summer opportunities were pretty much closed out.
My kid is going on a funded gap year program in Asia and the company has a lot of interest in the Asia market which is probably why they are interested in working with her.

They are interested in her because she will travel to Asia in the future? Lady you and your daughter are both not smart.

Why is she being reimbursed if she has the gift cards in her possession?

Obviously she gave the scammers the numbers in the gift cards. For these scams, do you think people are sending them the physical cards? That would be a pretty big tip-off, no?

But if the whole story is "buy these gift cards to give out to our employees" then why would she give the scammers the numbers?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here - update. The company decided to reimburse her almost the full amount ((90%). They sent her company computer equipment and had her uninstall the programs they had her put in.
And surprisingly, she is still going to be paid by the hour. They are trying to make her whole so she is a very lucky girl.
I came home yesterday to see a huge pile of ripped open gift cards on the dining table. She was organizing them in case the police follows up on her report. The sight was kind of shockingly cinematic, like a scene from a drug bust where all the booty is piled up dramatically below a pendant light. Seeing the physical items is much more visceral than hearing about it and I couldn't help but wonder what was going through her mind when she was ripping this stuff open. I asked her and she said she just kept wondering when the boss would pay her back.
At that point, it occurred to me that because job came from someone in our social circle, that also led her to relax her guard. It might also have compelled her to comply with the elders in her social circle. Ugh, at least she wasn't led into joining a cult.
To all the naysayers who can't believe a fresh high school graduate could snag an internship, I would almost have agreed and only a month ago thought summer opportunities were pretty much closed out.
My kid is going on a funded gap year program in Asia and the company has a lot of interest in the Asia market which is probably why they are interested in working with her. [u]

No. Just no.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And where were you?

This

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And where were you?

This

Do you all sit next to your kid while they are doing their job?