Job scams are an increasingly common type of fraud scheme online. Scammers intent on stealing your money or personal information to create fake profiles posing as recruiters or impersonating legitimate people or companies in attempts to lure in victims. Job scams are often initiated via Contact Form messages.
Here are some best practices to protect yourself from job scams:
- Never provide payment as part of the application process. Legitimate companies should not require fees, transfers, gift cards, checks or the wiring of funds as a condition of the application process.
- Be wary of job postings or messages that include misspellings and grammatical errors.
- Verify information from the potential employer to confirm their identity. Examples include company email address, phone number, or social media handles. Check this against the information on the company’s official website or using a search engine.
- If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Fraudulent jobs will often promise outsized rewards for little work to entice victims, such as signing bonuses and advances.
- If you suspect a job post or message is a scam, report it so our team can track and further investigate.
- If you’ve been a victim of a scam, report it to your local law enforcement.
Example of a common job scam message:
Good Afternoon ___________,
I am George Taylor and I work as a Human Resources Recruiter at Company XYZ. I saw your profile here and I was impressed by your experience.
Here at Company XYZ, we are always looking to grow our teams with talented people and achieve great things together.
I’d love to tell you a little more about the opening position and learn a few things about you, as well.
Are you available? If so, I’d be happy to coordinate via Google Hangouts and Telegram.
Work Hours Or Shift: Monday to Friday, 8:30 am - 5: 30 pm
Salary: $25 - 40 /Hr
I hope you have a great day.
Sincerely,
George Taylor