'They will just milk you until you're dry': A New Yorker lost $20,000 after responding to a job offer text — here’s how scammers pulled it off

This is a fast-growing type of employment fraud that is exploding across the U.S. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), reported losses on job scams tripled from 2020 to 2023 (2) and CBS reports that employment scams cost Americans $630 million in 2025.

'They will just milk you until you're dry'

Upper West Side resident Kathryn Detweiler told CBS News that her nightmare started with a simple text message from someone who claimed to be a recruiter.

To make the offer seem real, she explained "they used the name of a former employer of mine to give it credibility." They directed her to what appeared to be a professional marketing platform connected to brands like Strava, AXS Tickets and Monopoly.

Her job, supposedly, was to approve online ads. But there was a catch: She had to use her own money upfront to "fund" the advertisements, with promises that she would later be reimbursed and earn a profit.

At first, the arrangement appeared to be legitimate, since Detweiler said she invested a small amount of around $18 and quickly received a payout of roughly $120. That built trust and encouraged her to continue.

Over the following months, she deposited more and more money while the platform displayed what appeared to be a growing account balance.

Things weren't as they seemed since whenever Detweiler attempted to withdraw her earnings, the company allegedly told her she needed to deposit even more money first.

Eventually, her family members intervened and recognized the scheme for what it was.

"I sort of just broke down and my family found me, and I told them the whole story, and they just told me, 'Kathryn, this is a scam, you have to get out of it,'" Detweiler said. "They will just milk you until you're dry. There will be nothing left."

The scammers allegedly used a website designed to mimic a legitimate UK-based marketing company called Mediareach. The real company later confirmed that fraudsters had cloned portions of its website and that it does not operate in the U.S.

For Detweiler, the financial fallout has been devastating.

"It has made everything so incredibly tight," Detweiler said. "I don't have money to buy groceries a lot of weeks."

How to protect yourself from job scams

With more recruitment happening online these days, job seekers need to be on the lookout for these types of scams that are becoming increasingly sophisticated.

The FTC warns that scammers are pretending to be recruiters, staffing agencies or recognizable companies to gain victims' trust. Fraudsters often contact people unexpectedly through texts, WhatsApp, Telegram or social media with promises of flexible remote work and quick earnings (3).

And in an increasingly challenging job market, scammers are preying on people's struggle to find work amidst the high cost of living.

The FTC says legitimate employers will never require workers to deposit money, purchase cryptocurrency, pay upfront fees or fund company transactions using personal accounts. The Better Business Bureau echoes that advice, with BBB Metro New York president Claire Rosenzweig calling it "insidious" and telling CBS News: "If you have to pay to get paid, it's a scam. Don't do it (4)."