Too Good to be True? Avoiding Job Scams

As the work from home era seems to be coming to an end for many large companies, job postings with the promise of flexible work for high pay are sure to catch the eye of many workers. Job scammers are taking advantage of this, posting fake jobs and sending direct messages to candidates. As with most things in life, if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. But these tricksters are appealing to job seekers often at their most vulnerable with these job scams. If caught in the web it could result in working without pay all the way to identity theft or a drained bank account.

What are these Job Scams?

According to the Federal Trade Commission, job scams take many forms but the most common are:

• work from home be your own boss
  • They want you to believe that you can work on your own schedule and make thousands of dollars a month. They get you to buy your starter kit to have everything you need to get started. Then they leave you high and dry after they get the payment.
• reshipper
  • Likely a way to sell stolen goods, this job involves receiving packages at your address, removing labels and boxes and shipping out to someone else. The promise is that you will be reimbursed for the supplies and shipping costs plus get a hefty paycheck after your first month. The truth is no money ever arrives. You soon discover you wasted your time and money and may have been caught up in something illegal.
• remote worker
  • This scam can take several forms and can often even appear to be very legitimate with job interviews and an offer letter. Once you have done all the paperwork they ask you to reimburse the company for your virtual worker equipment. They assure you it will be paid back on the first paycheck. Once you submit the payment, the job never materializes and on top of that, now they have your paperwork with all of your personal data on it as well.
• virtual assistant/mystery shopper
  • This scam is done under various job types but the grift is that they send you a check and then ask you to deposit it and then make a payment of part of the money to someone else. By the time the original check bounces, you are out the funds you sent and the job poster seems to have gotten a new phone!

How to Steer Clear of Job Scams

While most scammers cannot get past the background check required to post on legitimate job boards like Indeed or ZipRecruiter, they can get away with a lot using social media or sending direct messages.

• Trust your instincts! Do not get caught up in the excitement of something that seems too good to be true.
• Do not pay money upfront to apply for a position or to get started in a role. A legitimate company will not ask for payment or need you to help them pay others.
• Be wary of non traditional communication processes. An interview should be done in person, over video or on the phone. Anyone wanting to use What’s App (for example) for the interview should be questioned and a new plan requested.
• Hold off providing too much personal information until you have a chance to vet the recruiter or organization.
• Do some research. The more polished scammers will use a name similar to a real recruiter at a company or agency. They might change a letter or two in the email address to slip through. Confirm someone is who they say they are by reaching out through an alternate method (LinkedIN, call the office).
• Never make a decision under a time crunch. Remember a real job offer will give you time to consider and respond and will not require an immediate answer from you. If they are rushing you, they may be trying to hide something.

Cultris Security Wants to Help

We want to help with our advice – if you do find yourself feeling like you were scammed, immediately contact your bank to let them know of any invalid payments you made. Check with the credit agencies and set up identity protection to prevent your personal information being used by others. Also report the scam to https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/ and to your state’s attorney general.

Photo by Anna Tarazevich: https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-woman-covering-her-face-6173661/