There are job openings for almost any discipline. Do you want to practice nursing? Are you looking for a position as a neurosurgeon? How about retail, food service, tourism? There is something for everybody. Enticing bonuses are offered to try to get employees. It’s a wide-open market. If someone wants a job, chances are excellent that there is a job out there.
How we find jobs – or how jobs find us – has changed markedly. Monster, Indeed, LinkedIn, ZipRecruiter help with employment. Openings are posted on social media. The old-fashioned newspaper ads still draw applicants. And scammers lurk in all of these places.
Job seekers need to be cautious. Fake recruiting emails, fake job postings, and work-at-home scams are everywhere that people are looking for work. The employment scammers may use company names that are legitimate, and the contact information may look very real. But it could be a scam. Your dream job could become your real-life nightmare.
You’ve been looking. You’ve put yourself out there. The offer may come to you by email, text, or social media. The offer may sound legitimate and the contact seems professional. They tell you how they found you. They want to interview you, and in order to do this, you need to download a messaging app.
After you download the app, the contact will ask you to complete a few questions. Because they are so impressed with you, they will offer you a job. You get a contract that you need to sign, and send back. You are then asked “normal” employment questions: date of birth, address, banking information (your pay will be direct deposit).
Your “new employer” may assign the task of receiving packages, unwrapping them, trashing the paperwork, repackaging, and shipping the items….which are stolen. You have become part of the scam.
You may also get caught up in a money-laundering scam where you are transferring money. A “money mule” is someone who moves illegally acquired money on behalf of someone else. This makes the scammee a thief and possibly up for prosecution.
Nanny scams, mystery shopper scams, government and postal job scams, and job placement scams are areas where job seekers can get in trouble. The Federal Trade Commission offers information on the scams that target job seekers.
What can you do?
Research job offers. Check out the company’s website. Verify that the company is legitimate. Look up the contact information. Go to BBB.org to see if there are reports of unresolved complaints, negative reviews, or existing scams.
Beware of jobs that involve receiving and returning money.
Guard your personal information. Do NOT give out bank account numbers or Social Security number.
Watch out if it’s too easy. Stop and think. If a company claims they want to hire you without meeting you either virtually or in person, and if they don’t conduct a job interview, you’re probably dealing with a scammer.
Stay safe!
