When you're out of work, any prospective job opening may seem worth pursuing. However, it's all too easy to fall for employment scams perpetrated by con artists trying to steal your money, personal information or services. Keep an eye out for some common job scams that have clear warning signs. Take a look at some of the red flags that should put you on high alert when you're looking for a job.
Holiday Job Scams
Job scams frequently pop up at the holiday season, a time when many retail and delivery firms hire extra staff. You might get an email announcing that a company is offering unusually high wages for the holiday season. The company's need is so great, the email claims, that the firm is inviting you to apply online, without even going into the store.
Be aware that this email is almost certainly not from the company it claims. If you fill out the online application, you have actually handed your personal information over to scammers. By applying for the non-existent job, you have set yourself up for identity theft. In some cases, even clicking the link to the fake application triggers malware to be loaded onto your computer or mobile device.
Fake Jobs
Some con artists make fake employment posts look legitimate by using a real company's name. You might see a job posting for a company whose name you recognize. The job description looks legitimate, with no signals to warn you away. Once you respond to the ad, however, you may be contacted by a person claiming to be a hiring manager who starts asking for personal information, possibly including banking or credit card numbers. Never disclose personal financial information to recruiters or hiring personnel.
Sometimes, these scams are very complicated and extremely well executed. You might click through a job listing on a respected job board and come across a website that look absolutely legitimate. Take one more step to protect yourself by checking with a website such as Whois.net to find out who really owns the domain in question. If you find the website is registered in a foreign country, run the other way. You've just stumbled upon a scam.
Online Interviews
Another fairly new scam involves the use of an online interview or an instant messenger program. While you may be asked to interview by Skype for a job that's located outside of your immediate geographic area, any legitimate employment search is likely to require a follow-up in-person interview as well. If you're offered a job without ever meeting your prospective employer face to face, it's likely that you're being scammed. In some versions of this scam, the job actually requires you to perform illegal actions such as transporting stolen money or goods across state lines or out of the country.
Government Job Scams
One commonplace scam that is designed to steal a small amount of money from a large number of people involves an offer to sell a bogus list of federal jobs. Often the jobs are advertised as undisclosed opportunities that are only available to purchasers of the list. However, be aware that all jobs with the federal government are posted at USAJobs.gov. The site is free to visit and use by anyone.
As a rule of thumb, you should avoid giving out personal information to anyone you don't know until you've done sufficient research to confirm that the person you're dealing with is legitimate. Never pay out any amount of money to get a job application process started. Job applicants are not responsible for the cost of drug tests, background checks or similar hiring expenses. While scammers grow more sophisticated every year, if you stay on the alert and don't get overly excited about job offers that seem too good to be true, you can avoid getting off track. Be wary, and stay focused on the real prize: a legitimate job with a real company.
Photo Courtesy of Heidi Go Seek at Flickr.com
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