Employment scams target Rexburg victims

Rexburg Police investigated two reported fraud cases Thursday. Both targeted job-seekers, but in different ways.

The first victim applied for a job online. His contact asked him to purchase $300 worth of gift cards to purchase items he would need for work. The victim provided the gift cards. He also provided his personal bank information, purportedly for direct deposit purposes.

A second victim told police he received a check from what he believed was a legitimate employer after applying for a job online. The victim said he deposited the check in his bank and sent a portion of the money to another party. The bank later informed him the deposit check had bounced. In that case, police said the victim could work with his bank to try to recover some of the funds.