Job scams - Red Flags, What to Do If You Fall Victim, and Protecting Yourself in the Future By: Shelley Maley

Scam Alert!

𝘈𝘤𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘉𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘉𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘶, 𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘺𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘫𝘰𝘣 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘬𝘦𝘳𝘴
𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 $2 𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺.

Yes, you read that right.

$𝟮 𝗕𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗜𝗢𝗡!

What's the result for an unsuspecting job seeker?

Unfortunately, there may be serious consequences, such as identity theft 𝙖𝙣𝙙/or 𝙗𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙛𝙩.

To protect yourself from potential job scams, be on the lookout for these potential 𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗹𝗮𝗴𝘀:
The “employer” initiates contact with you, claiming you’re the perfect candidate for the “job”. They may even claim they found your resume on Indeed or another job board.
The job description seems vague or provides minimal detail of the actual job duties or candidate qualifications.
The “employer” asks you to provide personal information under the guise of completing your background check or setting up your direct deposit.
The “employer” asks you to pay for supplies, training, or background checks, or asks you to cash/deposit a check or send them money.
The “employer’s” email address is not linked to a company. For instance, instead of [email protected], the email is [email protected].
The job posting includes misspelled words and/or typographical or grammatical errors.

If you’ve fallen prey to a job posting scam, there are a few things you should do immediately to protect yourself and save others from the same aggravation:

Contact the FTC and your state attorney general to report the scam. You should also contact the Better Business Bureau if the company has an account with them.

If you gave the scammer your social security number, go to IdentityTheft.gov to monitor your credit and to determine any other steps you should take.

If you provided password information to the scammer, change your password immediately.

If you wired money through your bank or a wire transfer company, notify them to report a fraudulent transaction.

If you made payment on a credit or debit card, contact the credit or debit card issuer to report a fraudulent transaction.

If you gave remote access to a scammer, run a scan with the most current security software and delete anything that the scan identifies as an issue.

Notify the job board where you found the job posting.

In the future, take precautions to protect yourself from these unscrupulous scammers. First and foremost, trust your gut instinct - if the “job” sounds too good to be true, it’s probably is. Always check to see if the job posting is actually advertised on the company's website or a reputable job board; do not speak to anyone from the “employer” unless you have first confirmed that the job is legitimate. In addition, you can also check with the Better Business Bureau to determine if fraud claims have been filed against the "employer" in the past.

The repercussions of employment identity theft and job scams are far-reaching and devastating, affecting not only individual job seekers but also the broader economic and social fabric. With annual losses totaling billions of dollars and countless lives disrupted, it is imperative to remain vigilant and proactive in protecting YOUR personal information. Stay informed, be aware, and always prioritize the security of your personal information to navigate the job market safely and confidently.