A Newport woman, Stephanie Clark, has lost over $5,000 after falling victim to a work-from-home scam. Clark was searching for a remote job when she received an offer that seemed legitimate. She applied through an online recruitment platform and quickly started her new job, unaware that she was being lured into a scam.
The job, which seemed straightforward at first, involved “optimizing” a service by repeatedly clicking buttons on her laptop. The scam required Clark to make cryptocurrency payments via her Cash App account to unlock more earnings. Clark was told that her efforts were accumulating in a virtual wallet and that she was on the path to significant earnings.
Clark was in contact with someone identifying themselves as Taylor Scott, supposedly working for Wix. She was led to believe that Wix, a reputable website builder, managed all transactions in Bitcoin due to its global customer base. As part of the scam, Clark was convinced that her growing Bitcoin wallet would soon translate into real cash.
For three weeks, Clark performed her tasks, receiving promises of earnings such as $100 after two days and $400 after four days. However, her personal funds were gradually drained as she sent payments via Cash App to the scammer. In total, Clark lost $5,060.
As her account began to run out of funds, Clark realized something was wrong when she was urged to borrow money from family members to “complete the set.” She reported the scam to Wix and the FBI for further investigation.
Wix issued a warning, explaining that scammers are exploiting their trusted brand by creating fake websites and pretending to be Wix employees. The FBI also warned the public about work-from-home scams involving cryptocurrency payments, urging people to thoroughly investigate job offers before engaging.
Clark’s experience highlights the dangers of online scams, as these criminals often use convincing tactics and familiar brands to deceive victims. She cautions others to dig deeper when presented with online opportunities, as her unfortunate experience cost her thousands of dollars.
