3 Online Employment Scams Jobseekers Should Watch Out For

Economic anxiety is running high in the U.S. As wages stagnate, cost of living continues to rise, leaving many Americans in a constant state of financial uncertainty. Needless to say, this is not lost on scam artists. Fully willing to prey on people’s foremost vulnerabilities, cybercriminals regularly perpetrate a wide range of employment scams on the web. Whether you’re without a job or are dissatisfied with your current career, the promise of financial security and professional fulfillment can seem too good to pass up. However, falling for the aforementioned scams will typically result in you losing money, thereby increasing your economic insecurity. Jobseekers who value their online safety should steer clear of the following employment scams.   

1. Personal Information Requests

Before adding new hires to the payroll, most legitimate employers collect personal information and conduct background checks. Wishing to capitalize on this, online scammers frequently send jobseekers fraudulent emails in which they claim to be representing big-name companies and employment agencies. According to these communiqués, the target is perfect for a high-paying position in their chosen field. However, before they can get the balling rolling, they’ll need to submit sensitive personal information so that their new employer can conduct a pre-employment credit check. This credit check will require you send a copy of your driver’s license, as well as your social security and bank account numbers. This is information that no employer would request before actually hiring someone, and few legitimate employers will actually hire people that haven’t gone through some form of in-person interview. More often than not, these “job offers” come from companies that targets haven’t even applied to. Furthermore, scammers will frequently “borrow” logos and email addresses belonging to legitimate enterprises.  

2. Social Media Scams

In recent years, scam artists have flocked to popular social media outlets in droves. With millions of easily-accessible targets to choose from, social media mainstays are veritable goldmines for dedicated scammers. Facebook and Twitter users should be particularly wary of social media-based employment scams, as these sites are home to thousands of fraudulent job postings. Upon clicking the links found in these postings, jobseekers are directed to sites that are rife with malware. Website owners and administrators looking for a valuable ally in the fight against malicious links and software should read what these SiteLock reviews have to offer. Additionally, these links often have shortened URLs, which can make scams harder to identify. Fortunately, there are two easy ways to spot fraudulent links, the first of which is Googling the names of the recruiter and employer before clicking. Secondly, you should take a peek at the recruiter’s main page. A job recruiter having fewer than 1,000 followers should serve as a red flag.

3. Fake Listings on Legitimate Job Boards

Instead of working with local placement agencies, many digital age employment seekers regularly peruse popular job boards, like Monster, Indeed and Craigslist. Although the people in charge of these boards make an effort to filter out fraudulent listings, some invariably slip through the cracks. These listings tend to be vague in a number of areas. For example, they generally don’t contain the name of the “employer” or go into great detail regarding the duties a position entails. After applying to one of these listings, you’ll likely be contacted via email by someone who claims to be a recruiter for the company that posted the job. Before going any further, ask for the name of the company and the specific details surrounding the job. Should the “recruiter” comply, Google the information he or she sends you. Even if all this checks out, be wary of providing financial information to this person, especially before meeting with a company representative in person.  

Getting by month to month is becoming increasingly difficult for many Americans. When cost of living rises amidst stagnant wages, widespread economic anxiety is the inevitable result. As such, individuals without gainful employment and those looking for more fulfilling careers will often jump at the chance to improve their station in life. Unfortunately, scam artists are fully aware of this fact, and they won’t hesitate to take advantage of job dissatisfaction and unemployment woes. Although wanting an instant cure for economic anxiety is certainly understandable, if you’re presented with an offer that’s too good to be true, it probably is.