From the Graphic Artists Guild
Several Guild members have informed us they have been the targets of a sophisticated scam. Please be alert that outreach from potential clients may be a scam, and do your due diligence in checking the validity of any job offers.
The scams reported to us have involved a “recruiter” contacting graphic artists via text message. The personal contact information for the artists appears to have been gleaned from a variety of online profiles. The job offer appears to be legitimate. Some artists even progressed to 2+ hour “job interviews,” which led them to believe the job offer was genuine.
In a few cases, the scammer convinced the artist to supply a photo of their driver's license. Artists have also been asked to supply banking information. Some of the text messages have used the names of Guild members as the contact person.We will be publishing a more in-depth article on the scam. In the meantime, follow these best practices:
- Check the URL of the company the “recruiter” supplies. If they do not supply a URL, check the URL as indicated in their email address.
- Take note if the text messages or emails from the “recruiter” contain typos, are poorly worded, or otherwise contain contradictory information (such as multiple companies or contacts listed).
- Be wary if the job offer seems too good to be true, if you are asked to use a particular financial service to receive funds or if you are asked to accept a larger sum of money at the outset.
- Never give over your banking information.
- Never supply an image of your driver's license.
If you have been contacted by a scammer and supplied your driver's license, please contact your state DMV. Your state may have the means to report that your driver's license has been compromised and may have resources to help you protect your personal identity.
If a scammer has targeted you, please let the Graphic Artists Guild know. Email admin@graphicartistsguild.org. If you can, please supply screenshots of any text messages, email threads, and other material.