Possible Scam Via Robocalls
It has come to our attention that individuals in the state are receiving phone calls from an organization soliciting responses for jobs. The message, which is likely generated by a Robocall, indicates the user was online, looking for a job, and they are asked to Press 1 to learn more or 9 to be deleted from the call list. These calls are not associated with MDES or the WIN Job Centers. We recommend that if you get one of these calls asking you to contact them via the number provided, do not call.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, if you answer the phone and hear a recorded message instead of a live person, it's a robocall. Robocalls about candidates running for office, or charities asking for donations are allowed by the FTC. But if the recording is a sales message and you haven't given your written permission to get calls from the company on the other end, the call is illegal. In addition to the phone calls being illegal, their pitch most likely is a scam.
What Should You Do If You Get a Robocall?
- Hang up the phone. Don't press 1 to speak to a live operator and don't press any other number to get your number off the list. If you respond by pressing any number, it will probably just lead to more robocalls.
- Consider contacting your phone provider and asking them to block the number, and whether they charge for that service. Remember that telemarketers change Caller ID information easily and often, so it might not be worth paying a fee to block a number that will change.
- Report your experience to the FTC online at ftc.gov or by calling 1-888-382-1222.
MDES’ primary goal is to help Mississippians find jobs. We can and do use the latest technology to do so; available jobs are posted on our website at mdes.ms.gov, on our Facebook page and via our Twitter feed. We will always include WIN Job Center or a job number in our postings. If one of our interviewers contacts you about an available job, they will give you their name and number for the call-back. MDES never uses a robocall to send a generic message asking for a call back.
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