Whether one is fresh out of school or simply need to find a new job, finding work is never an easy task. Over the years, the Internet has become a common tool for job seekers, thanks in part to the success of sites like Monster.com and Craigslist. This, unfortunately, has also led scammers and con artists to create bogus job opportunities in order to trick job seekers into giving them their personal information and/or money. As the economy has taken a turn for the worse, and job seekers have gotten more desperate for work, these scammers have only gotten bolder.
But just because there are scams does not mean one needs to fall for them. Below are some tips for avoiding bogus online job offers.
Red Flags for Job Scams
With all the various offers out there (both legitimate and fake) it can seem like a daunting task to sift through them all and make sure they are for real. But most scams fall under a few different categories, so if any of these red flags come up, chances are the offer is bogus.
- Personal Invites – Often times scammers will send out emails claiming to have seen a job seekers resume online, and offer a position that matches their skills. The seeker is then invited to follow a link to complete the application process. It is important to double check the companies name. If the job seeker has not sent them a resume, then it is what's called a cold contact email. Job seekers should be very cautious about proceeding. More often then not, this is just a mass email sent out to as many people as possible to see who will take the bait.
- ID Verification – If at anytime during the application process the job seeker is asked to provide ID verification (Social Security number, mother's maiden name, driver's license or birth certificate, bank account), they should not continue. The scammers will try and assure the seeker by promising a face-to-face interview once they have verified your identity. Seekers should NEVER give this information over the Internet unless they are 100% confident that the business is legitimate. Most legitimate business will not ask for birth certificates or other verifications until after the hiring process is complete, and there has been a chance to meet with them in person.
- Company Name – Make sure that the job offer has a company name attached to it. If a job seeker finds or receives a job offer that does not give any indication to the company offering it, they should disregard it immediately. A company name will allow them to research the business to make sure it is legitimate. If they are not providing it, they likely have something to hide.
- Pay Forward/Transfer – Some scammers will pretend to be an employer and use job ads or a posted resume to gain the job seeker's trust. They will then try and get the job seeker's bank account number through a number of scenarios, including needing to deposit paychecks via direct deposit or paying a wage for transferring money. Like the ID verification above, NEVER give this information during the hiring process. While many companies do use direct deposit, they will get this information once an individual has been hired, and will usually provide them with pay stubs documenting the transfers. As for the transferring money scenario, many times the money is stolen, so in addition to losing their private info, job seekers can end up with criminal charges as well.
- Asking for Money Upfront – Any site or offer that promises to give the "inside scoop" on what jobs are available, or "guarantees" employment once a fee is paid is bogus. This is especially true of sites promising help landing a federal job or a job abroad. High paid overseas jobs require a lot of experience to get, and will not be available to just anyone browsing job boards online. And federal jobs are publicly announced, so there is no need to pay for an inside scoop. Really, one should never have to pay upfront for a job offering.
What to Do if a Scam is Suspected
So someone receives or finds a job offer online, and suspects it may be a scam because it seems to fall under one of the red flags. To be safe, they should simply disregard it immediately, but they can also do some looking into the company if they want to be sure.
If the offer was sent to the seeker, they should check the email address of the sender. If it is a Gmail or Hotmail account instead of a corporate domain name, chances are the offer is fake. Check the company's web page for spotty grammar or poor web design. And finally, running a Google search on the company's name will often times bring up any scams that have been associated with it.
The bottom line is to be extremely careful when it comes giving out personal information to online job offers. There are many offers out there that seem too good to be true because they are. It may seem like a lost opportunity to disregard offers that seem suspicious, but as hard as it may be to find work, it will be even harder if an identity or savings account has been stolen.
References
Privacy Rights Clearinghouse. Avoiding Online Job Scams. (Accessed July 20, 2010)
Better Business Bureau. Graduates Cautioned to Avoid Online Job Scams. (Accessed July 20, 2010)
Timothy Gaydos - I attended Ohio University for four years, studying Video Production and Film, earning a BA in Science and Communications from the Scripps ...
