As teens hunt for summer jobs, scammers are on the prowl

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — Scammers are on the prowl as many teens look to make some money during the summer. 

The Better Business Bureau said job scams are more common during summer and holiday season.

“There are bogus listings for job positions that do not actually exist,” said BBB of Nebraska President Jim Hegarty. 

There are some positions that scammers tend to advertise. 

“They’re looking for people to work from home, sometimes as like re-shippers, payment processors,” Hegarty said.  

The BBB said you should always look for grammatical errors in job postings on the internet and pay attention if they ask for any type of payment information. 

“If you’re a student and you’re looking for summer jobs, don’t fly solo,” Hegarty said. “Allow other people to be involved in the conversation.”

If you are looking for a job, there are many summer opportunities here in Lincoln.  

The Lincoln Children’s Zoo has seasonal and part-time openings. People as young as 16 can apply. 

“It’s great to work at the zoo,” spokeswoman Erin Lenz said. “You get discounts at different areas of the zoo, and you also get a membership for yourself as well.”

Also, for students and young people looking for career opportunities, the American Job Center in Lincoln has a program all year long for youths ages 14 to 24. 

“We work with local businesses, and we actually pay them $15 an hour for up to 240 hours,” said Amber Knapp with the job center. 

The center said it is also looking for business to partner with.