How the FBI and Better Business Bureau Are Cracking Down on Job Scammers

Job scams are becoming so prevalent that the FBI and the Better Business Bureau are stepping in to protect desperate job seekers. The old adage that "If it looks to good to be true, it probably is" bears little sway when you, like 45 percent of all out-of-work Americans, have been unemployed for six months or more.

"The dismal employment rate means that a lot of people are desperate for work and may be grasping for any job -- which creates a great opportunity for scammers," said Stephen A. Cox, president and CEO of the Council of Better Business Bureaus. "Not thoroughly researching a job opportunity can make a bad situation even worse, and a victim can lose hundreds or even thousands of dollars to any number of job-related scams."