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Finding a job is no small thing \u2013 vacancies are few and far between and competition is fierce \u2013 and making it harder, and more dangerous, are the many many job scams out there. Do you know how to spot a fake job listing and keep yourself safe? Let\u2019s take a look at how you can tell if a vacancy is legit or not.<\/p>\n
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Sometimes the scammers want to take all the money in your bank account or sell you something useless (or nonexistent).<\/p>\n
Other times, the scammers will use you to commit crimes, like\u00a0receiving stolen property\u00a0or money laundering, so you end up at even greater risk.<\/p>\n
Sometimes the purpose of the scam is to collect personal information from you to sell to other scammers.<\/p>\n
These scams are everywhere:<\/p>\n
For more information on avoiding job scams, read the\u00a0Guide to Avoiding Job Scams\u00a0and\u00a0The Job Scams Self-Defense Sniff Test.<\/p>\n
If the opportunity seems \u201ctoo good to be true,\u201d it is probably a scam. Pay attention to what your instincts tell you if something feels \u201coff\u201d about the opportunity.<\/p>\n
Before you apply for a job or respond to an email with a copy of your resume, make sure the opportunity doesn\u2019t match these criteria.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s usually the sign of a scam. The description is only a sales pitch, vague, or so simple that anyone could do it. No particular skills, experience, or education are needed to do the job. When you analyze it, the job doesn\u2019t make sense, and anyone\/everyone qualifies.<\/p>\n
Often, poor grammar, punctuation, and spelling may be used in the description\/pitch.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Although you must start as soon as possible, very little of your time and not much effort are needed to do the job, but you will receive a handsome salary for minimal effort. \u201cNo experience necessary\u201d may be part of the job description or pitch.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
A minimal fake interview can be done very quickly via text message (like Slack or Yahoo Instant Messenger) or email. Or, they claim to be so impressed with you that they don\u2019t need to actually talk with you about the job. (Which means you don\u2019t get to ask any troublesome questions!)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
This is usually an emailed scam although it may come via social media. They claim to be following up on an application you have made, and you are perfect for their job. They are ready to hire you\u00a0immediately<\/em>. They may even thank you for your (nonexistent) application for the job.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not your memory failing you. The application didn\u2019t happen!<\/p>\n<\/li>\n The job description\u00a0may<\/em>\u00a0look real, with some duties and responsibilities or a few tasks, but there is no clear indication of who the employer is. Or the alleged employer is well-known (e.g. Amazon, Google, Apple, etc.), but the only contact is an email address through a general service like Gmail, rather than an address associated with the employer.<\/p>\n Before you apply, be sure to ask for\u00a0and verify<\/em>\u00a0the name of the contact person and the employer.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n If contact with them is only via e-mail to an address at gmail.com or some other e-mail service\u00a0not<\/em>\u00a0associated with the business, it is a scam. If they are supposedly hiring for a legitimate employer, the contact information provided should reflect that.<\/p>\n\u00a0 It\u2019s a scam if:\u00a0<\/em>The employer\u2019s and\/or the recruiter\u2019s identity is not clear. \u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\u00a0 It\u2019s a scam if:\u00a0<\/em>When you Google them, you find only job postings or warnings. \u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n