Editor’s note: This monthly series highlights scams that target the senior community. Dr. Dave Long of Poland, a Youngstown State University graduate, is a retired public affairs officer with U.S. Customs and Border Protection who later worked as an Elder Scam Prevention Outreach specialist in Rochester, N.Y., before moving back to the Mahoning Valley.

Scammers always invent new ways to cheat older adults out of their retirement savings. A growing number of seniors are now reporting being cheated out of thousands by work-at-home scams.

With the cold weather and COVID making the rounds in the Valley, working from your home may sound like a great idea. Don’t sign up for any work-at-home job until you get all the facts.

According to law enforcement and the Federal Trade Commission, you might only be signing up to be scammed. At the worst, you might be getting involved with a criminal organization.

Work-at-home scams usually come to you with an offer on the telephone, text message or email promising good pay for not much work. The FBI reports these scams dupe victims into money-laundering schemes.

Seniors are offered jobs to “process payments” or “transfer funds.” The scammer then sends out a bad check that the victim cashes, and allows the victim to keep a percentage as “pay.” The scammer then gives instructions on where to send the rest of the cash.

Everything seems wonderful until the check bounces a few days later, and an angry bank manager calls to demand you repay the full amount of the bad check. The scammer, usually based overseas, goes scot-free.

International criminal organizations entice many well-meaning American seniors to work for them, training them to steal and launder money, leaving no trail to the crooks. If you’re offered a job reshipping checks, cash or products, STOP — it’s a scam. At best, you’ll lose some of your savings — at worst, you could be charged with a crime.

Adding insult to injury, work-at-home scammers will also ask for personal information to start work, including social security numbers and bank account information (for direct deposit of your “paycheck”). Scammers quickly use this information to open credit cards and register websites in the victim’s name to commit more scams and frauds.

Tread carefully if you’re offered a work-at-home job, remember these tips:

・ Don’t engage with anyone offering a job that requires up-front payments for training, office supplies or products;

・ Don’t give out any personal information if you are contacted about a work-at-home job until you check out the employer with the Better Business Bureau;

・ Ask a lot of questions about the job and the employer — legitimate companies will have these answers ready. A scammer will blow you off and tell you not to worry;

・ Before signing up for any work-at-home job, talk it over with your family, friends and, if possible, a trusted financial professional;

・ And always, if it sounds too good to be true — it usually is. We live in a crazy world, but nobody is paid well to do relatively nothing.

If you or anyone you know is a victim of a work-at-home scam, report it to your local police department.

Valley residents also can call their county sheriff’s Senior Service Unit to report a scam, or ask questions about anything that smells like a fraud.

If you have a question on or need to report a possible scam, call your local police department. Or seniors may call their county Senior Services Unit: In Mahoning County, call Bob Schaeffer at 330-480-5078; in Trumbull County, call Don Hyde at 330-675-7096.