The rapid onboarding process sketched Miner after the supposed recruiter told him that the company planned to send him a certified check for $3,500 to spend with a specific vendor for his work supplies – a process that seemed odd. Instead of immediately ordering his supplies when the check arrived, as he had been instructed, Miner waited to see if the check cleared his bank before spending his own money. It’s not, validating Miner’s fear that she was dealing with a con artist.
Luckily for Miner, who lives in Dallas, Georgia, she couldn’t reach her boss to quit or she could have ended up unemployed.
How can I really be stupid? she remembers wondering. “I was harder on myself than anything else.”
Miner, who has applied to job postings on sites such as LinkedIn and posted about his job search, has company. Experts say scammers target job seekers, a group that is growing like Companies in all sectors continue to lay off workersand they mainly attack those pursuing remote positions. Scammers post fake jobs on websites and pose as recruiters in an effort to steal everything from passwords to money and identities.
“Employment scammers try to prey on people’s desire to be flexible,” said Sinem Buber, chief economist at job search engine ZipRecruiter. “It’s a rush hour because of that.”
Job sites such as ZipRecruiter, LinkedIn and Indeed say they try to weed out fake job postings and fake employers, although the scammers are getting more and more sophisticated. These sites also provide tools to report suspicious content in case a scam bypasses their filtering. Yet many job seekers are spreading their horror stories on social media.
But experts say if you’re looking for a job, even a remote one, don’t worry. There are steps you can take to avoid scams and get the real one. concert.
“The majority will be legit,” said Stacey Perkins, career and leadership coach at recruiting firm Korn Ferry. “You just have to be careful.”
Miner reported the scammer to the FBI, but she hasn’t heard back from the scammer or the FBI since. CVS Health advises job seekers to check the company’s careers website to make sure an ad is real. The company also said it would never ask job applicants to join a Google Hangout, buy their own equipment, or pay to apply. And it will never send emails from third-party email service like Yahoo or Gmail.
Here are 12 ways to avoid falling for an employment scam, according to job experts.
Avoid opportunities that promote easy money. If it’s too good to be true, it probably is, Perkins and Buber agreed. Employment scams often gamble little work for big paychecks. And they often promote that they are not a scam. If they have to say [they are legitimate]it’s a flag,” Perkins said.
Get job details. Legit jobs will explain the specific job duties, often in the listing. Beware of jobs that require you to receive something, repack it, and send it to a new location, especially if you don’t know the details. During the holidays, scammers may promote gift-wrapping jobs, Buber said. But you might be trading in illegal material.
Watch spelling and grammar. If a post or outreach is riddled with spelling and grammatical errors, experts agree it’s likely a scam. A typo may just be a typo, but if a the message is hard to read or full of obvious errors, move on. Also watch for one-letter differences in a company’s name, email address or web address, Perkins said.
Research the company. Most businesses have a web presence, Buber said. Check the company’s website and see if it has a LinkedIn account, social media profile or reviews on the Glassdoor employee review site, experts advise. Can you connect with others who work there? Can you find the address of its headquarters? Does it really exist?
Check reliable sources. The Federal Trade Commission can provide details of cases against companies. And the Better Business Bureau accredits companies it deems trustworthy. Buber said a quick search could save you headaches later.
Look at the sender’s email address and profile. A recruiter or hiring manager should always communicate with you through their company email account, never through their personal Gmail or SMS account, for example. So make sure that when you reply to or write emails, the address matches the company’s web domain, Perkins said. If they reach out to you on social media, do they have any connections or posts? Do they interact with others? Over how long?
Pay attention to the process. Companies should be able to specify their hiring process, Perkins said. If a company wants to hire quickly and responses come in minutes, that could be a red flag, Indeed warned. LinkedIn says employers rarely hire after a remote interview, and Indeed said that’s especially true if the interview is through a text messaging service. Most employers will put you in contact with several people before you get the job.
Pay nothing. If the employer asks you to pay for materials, training or testing, even if they offer reimbursement, the job is likely a scam, Perkins said. Buber said scammers often send victims a fake check and ask them to pay for something or claim they have to send something back due to a mistake. Scammers can then steal money by cashing victims’ valid check or payment before the fake check bounces. Scammers could also use you as a financial mule, asking you to deposit a valid check and send the same amount elsewhere, Buber said.
Protect your personal information. When applying, don’t give your social security number, photos of an ID or passport, or financial details, such as your bank account or credit card number, experts say . “They need your contact information, and that’s it,” Perkins said.
Get answers to all questions. Go to every interview with questions and make sure they get answered. Real employers will take this as an interest, and fake ones will panic or avoid responding, Buber said.
Watch out for pyramid schemes. Don’t fall for job opportunities where you only get paid if you bring more people into the operation, Perkins said. Some multilevel marketing companies are legit, but many are pyramid schemes.
Trust your instincts. If something is wrong, it probably is, experts say. So keep moving. “There are 1.7 jobs available for every unemployed person right now,” Buber said. “You will find something.”
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