There’s a growing trend in job (and internship) scams targeting remote workers. Fake job offers appear most as unsolicited emails, online job postings and malicious links on social media. Employment scams can attempt to steal money, steal your personal information or identity.
Some job scams are easy to notice and give off red flags because they appear “too good to be true” while others seem legit. They promise large salaries with little to no effort or job experience. Unfortunately, scammers have gotten savvy online and are able to pose as legitimate companies. They purchase business names, websites, email addresses and more to conduct fraud. Most scammers use “spoof” email addresses so that their emails “appear” to be coming from a valid email account when in fact, they are actually coming from the scammer’s email account.
If your goal is to work-from-home, fake job offers can be especially hard to identify but there are simple ways to avoid them. Below you’ll find a list of basic do’s and don’ts to help you identify and avoid job scams.
Don’t:
-
Don’t share personal information like your social security or bank account number with anyone until you have verified it with the government.
-
Don’t send money for background checks or as a condition of employment.Traditional jobs do not require staff to pay upfront for uniforms, background checks etc.
-
Don’t accept paychecks in the form of cashier’s checks or money orders. Fake checks are common with scammers which means you may get into trouble by the bank or check cashing business where you cash it.
-
Don’t cash a paycheck that comes with “extra” money and do not buy gift cards and send barcodes at an employer’s request. Scammers send checks that require you to make deposits at your bank, withdraw the “extra” money as cash and then deposit that cash elsewhere. When their check bounces you will be held responsible to face penalties and pay fines by the bank.
-
Don’t share personal information like your social security or bank account number on social media even if it’s requested through direct message. This is the newest method for job scams and no social network is immune or perfectly safe. Be cautious on social media, people’s accounts get hacked daily so do your research and verify that the recruiter or employer is legit before you click and apply.
Always:
-
Beware if a job is offering daily pay or big money for very little work or job experience, it could be a scammer trying to steal your personal information.
-
Research the employer. Visit their company website to make sure business information and job advertisements match. Is the phone number or email address the same as what’s listed on their website? Is the job listed on their career page?
-
Read customer reviews from various sources to find out what others have experienced with the company. Do an internet search for more information and see if they are listed in business directories.
-
Call the potential employer and listen for a professional voice message with company information before submitting your job application.
-
If you think a job offer is suspicious on an online job board let the publishers know! They can do a formal investigation and remove the job posting from their website. Always report a job scam to prevent others from getting scammed. Post your experience on social media or consumer protection websites. To report a scam, file a complaint online with the Federal Trade Commission.
The Bottom Line on Job Scams
Millions of people are affected by job scams every year and become victims of identity theft or fraud. Anybody can be tricked into opening a spam email or clicking on a malicious social media link. So it’s best to get familiar with the warning signs and protect yourself during your job search.
Opinion Profit Club strives to provide legitimate work from home job opportunities on our website; however, we make no representations or guarantees about positions from employers or affiliates. Please review our disclaimer for more information.
