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Oct 16, 2024 · Tyler Cross Senior Writer. Updated on: October 16, 2024. Fact-checked by Kate Davidson. A job offer waiting in your inbox is often a great thing, but it could also be a scam. Scammers use email and other tools to rope in victims with promises of work. If you fall for a job scam, you could have your money or identity stolen.
- Tyler Cross
- Overview
- 17 common job scams
- Job scam warning signs
- 5 tips to protect yourself from job scams
- What to do if you've been a victim of a job scam
A job scam is a fraudulent offer for work that is intended to mislead people seeking legitimate employment. Often, the objective of scammers is to deceive job seekers into giving money, divulging personal information or providing free labor. When you're looking for a new job, being able to distinguish between a scam and a valid opportunity can keep you safe and spare you a great deal of hassle.In this article, we look at 17 common job search scams, discuss the warning signs to look for and provide valuable tips on how to protect yourself.This article is for information purposes only and is not intended to constitute legal advice. Consult with an attorney or lawyer for any legal issues you may be experiencing.Key takeaways:
•When looking for a new job, you may encounter posts or communications advertising fake jobs or career opportunities.
•These advertisements or messages typically aim to steal your personal information or money, so it's important to avoid clicking any links or submitting any details to these scammers.
•You can control the risk of becoming a victim of a scam by carefully researching all potential employers and scanning job posts for suspicious behavior.
1. Fake job listings
Fake job listings come in various forms. Though job sites have measures in place to verify legitimate employers, scammers sometimes manage to get their listings posted. Other fake listings appear on social media profiles created expressly to deceive job seekers. The listings normally ask candidates to pay a fee to complete their application or to get started in the role.Read more: 10 Signs a Job Posting Might Be a Scam
2. Imposters
An imposter is someone purporting to be someone else. In the context of job scams, they usually pose as an affiliate of an agency, government institution or hiring firm. Imposters often ask candidates for a screening fee in the form of gift cards or a wire transfer.
3. Email offers
You may receive an email from someone claiming to be a recruiter who found your resume on a job board. Some emails come from legitimate recruiters, but others may come from dishonest people trying to deceive you. Often, the dishonest ones ask you for sensitive information, such as identification or bank account numbers.
Unnecessary calls
A scam caller tends to call persistently, trying to pressure you into accepting what they're offering. Often, they claim you may lose the opportunity to apply for a job if you don't immediately respond or agree to the terms.
Unprofessional emails
Most legitimate companies employ professionals to handle their social media and email accounts. Wanting to make a good impression on their client, they tend to send well-written emails that provide all of the information a candidate may require. In contrast, scam emails often contain obvious errors and vague contact details.
Fake accounts and websites
Since almost anyone can open and operate a social media account or website, scammers commonly create online platforms for made-up employers or fake channels for real companies. An obvious warning sign concerning these accounts is that they're scant on information or only newly created.
1. Do your research
Before applying for a position, conduct thorough research on the company to establish its existence and verify identifying details. Use a search engine to find the employer's official website and social media pages, which can provide useful information that you can compare against what you find in job listings or emails. You might find, for example, the email handle of the employer's human resources department. If you received a recruitment email from a different handle, you can tell that the sender is a scammer. Read more: The Complete Guide to Researching a Company
2. Verify website security
You can avoid illegitimate jobs by verifying websites and their security measures. Make sure the web address includes "https://" at the beginning, not "http://." This verifies that the site is both authentic and secure. You can also determine how long the site has been active and who owns it by inputting its URL into a domain age and website registry tool.
3. Trust your instincts
If you remain suspicious of a job or employer even after your research, trust yourself. If you feel uncertain, uncomfortable or jeopardized by an opportunity, avoiding it is the best course of action. Even if you can confirm the company is real, your feelings may be a sign that your values and interests differ from the employer's.
1. Inform your bank
If the scammer stole your bank information, asked you to send a check or processed a charge on your credit card, call your bank immediately and tell them what happened. They may be able to cancel the check or reverse the fraudulent charges. They can also help you change your information to secure your account.
2. Block communications from the sender
It's important that the sender is unable to scam you any further. Most email providers allow you to block a sender and report their messages as spam. If the scammer called or text-messaged you, block their phone number, too.
3. Report the scam
The FTC collects information about potential scams to help other consumers and candidates. If you're comfortable sharing your experience, you can submit a report about the fraudulent company so the government can investigate it. If you see a fraudulent job advertised on a job board or search engine, it can be helpful to report the posting, too.
- Joanna Zambas
- 5 min
- editor@careeraddict.com
- It sounds too good to be true. If you think your job offer is too good to be true, then it probably is. So, if you’ve received an offer (especially out of the blue) to make $2,000–$10,000 a week, delete the email and list it as spam straight away.
- There are minimal or no formal requirements for the job. Job requirements are an important part of every job. They help communicate what employers expect from jobseekers.
- The requirements are vague. Scammers may also try to make fake job offers seem legitimate by providing job requirements. These are normally either irrelevant to the role and involve submitting (you guessed it!)
- The text of the email is unprofessional. Some emails from scammers are professionally written. But often, you’ll notice they’re poorly written with grammatical mistakes.
Oct 4, 2024 · 3. The pay is extremely high. If a job description lists an unusually high salary for the role, it could be a warning sign. For example, if an entry-level position offers $75,000 annually for only 15 to 20 hours of work per week, it may be a good idea to research the company and job further before applying. 4.
Scammers will try to recruit you with a job offer through: unsolicited email or text message; online classified ads; job posting websites; The job may be called a "financial agent" or "client manager". When you answer the offer, the scammers hire you as a payment processor for the suspect company. Your job is to receive payments from the ...
Jul 27, 2023 · Communication only through texts and online chats. One red flag to watch out for in recruitment fraud is communication only through texts and online chats. Legitimate recruiters typically use a variety of communication methods, such as phone calls and emails, to interact with applicants. Scammers may prefer texts and online chats because they ...
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May 2, 2023 · The email sender address is a Gmail, Yahoo, or other private email account. This is a sign of a scam, as a real hiring manager or recruiter would have a company email address. Make sure to hover your mouse curser over the sender’s name to see the actual sender address. The hiring process seems too simple or fast.
