What to look for to determine if a job is a scam While it's uncommon and rare to find scams and fake job opportunities through legitimate job boards, it can sometimes happen. In the event you come across something in your job search that raises your suspicions, here are 10 things to look for to help you determine whether the job you're looking at is genuine or if it's a possible scam:
The recruiter contacts you One warning sign that a job offer may be illegitimate is that the hiring manager or employer makes contact with you first, usually by stating that they found your resume online or through an email. While this trait in itself doesn't necessarily mean a job opportunity is a scam, if you receive a job offer right away, there are unusual requests or there are additional warning signs from this list, it could be a fake meant to obtain your personal information.
You receive a job offer right away Receiving a job offer right away without having applied to an open position, spoken with a hiring manager or participated in an interview can be a huge red flag. An immediate offer to work for an organization combined with the fact that you didn't contact the company first can mean the job opportunity isn't as legitimate as it seems.
The pay is extremely high If you notice that the description mentions an unusually high-income level for the position, it may be a warning sign. For instance, if a job description states the employer will pay an annual salary of $75,000 for only 15 to 20 hours per week for an entry-level role, it could be a sign to look into the company and position further before applying.
The schedule seems too flexible While many career opportunities provide flexible work hours and schedules that promote a healthy work-life balance, if a job appears to be just a little too flexible, it could be another warning sign. Especially combined with unusually high pay, an unconventional schedule can point to something too good to be true.
For example, an opportunity that promises you'll only have to work one or two days per week while still earning an unusually high income should get you investigating further before you send in your resume.
Job requirements and description are vague Real job opportunities have quite specific job details and requirements that you'll always see in a description. However, in illegitimate job offerings, you may notice that the details and requirements are quite vague. For instance, be careful of job offers that only require candidates to be of legal age, be literate, be able to type and other simple and other ambiguous criteria that pretty much anyone could qualify for.
The company requires payment from you Be careful of any company, recruiter or job offer that requires a form of payment from you. No legitimate job opportunity will require you to pay to work for the company. While you should budget any expenses related to your job search—like gas for travel or professional attire—you should never have to pay for an opportunity to interview or accept a job.
The job promises that you'll get wealthy fast If you notice that a job opportunity promises that you'll be able to build wealth quickly or get extremely rich within a month, it's a likely warning sign that the job you're after isn't genuine. Look more into the compensation system of the company, and if you can't find any additional information on the details of the payment schedule, it's best to assume it's a fake and continue on your search.
Communication appears unprofessional Another big warning sign that a job may be illegitimate is unprofessional communication. For example, in a job offer email, look for inconsistencies in grammar, syntax and how the employer or recruiter communicates with you in writing. If it feels more than a little unprofessional, consider researching the position further and find out more about the company.
Contact information for the employer or company is missing In addition to unprofessional communication, many fake job opportunities tend to have missing contact information or vague details about the organization. If you notice the company's information is missing, try an internet search to find a company website or email address. If you still cannot find basic information about the company's location, staff members or other details, you may want to continue onto your next opportunity.
A company requests confidential information before hiring When a company hires new employees, it's usually a requirement to fill out tax documents, submit bank information for direct deposit and other processes that require confidential and personal information. However, this only becomes necessary once you sign an employer's offer and start your new job. If a recruiter or employer asks for any personal information aside from your basic contact information, such as your Social Security number or bank account number, take this as a sign to avoid this company in favor of a real job opportunity.
Don't be fooled by something that is too good to be true. Searching for a new job or career is hard enough — and the last thing you need is to get duped by a job posting that looks amazing but is actually just a scam. It can take you from happy and optimistic to frustrated and dejected in no time. The bad news? Job scams are out there. The good news? You can spot them before they get you, if you know what to look for. Here are 11 telltale signs that a job posting is actually a job scam:
- You never applied A recruiter calls you up and says that they found your resume online. “You're a perfect fit for this amazing position,” they say. While you may think how lucky you are, don't be fooled. While it can happen, it's a good bet that this is a scam. Hear them out, but then do your research. Most open positions receive many applications, so it's rare for a recruiter to have to scour job sites looking for qualified candidates.
- The pay is too good to be true If you are hunting for a job, you probably have a good idea what the average salary is for your job and experience level. If you find a job posting that lists that position for two or three times the typical salary, be wary. Even if a company wants to get the best of the best, it can probably do so by beating the competition's salary by a small margin. Paying double the going rate is bad business and not likely to happen. You've heard it before — if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.
- Your research comes up empty Trust your research. If you see a listing but can't find a good website for the company, consider it a red flag. The same goes for a recruiter; if you talk to someone about a job that could be a great fit for you, but you can't find the recruiter on Linkedin or a company website consider it a warning sign.
- Poorly written job post and correspondence You've seen this before: You scan a job posting or receive an email, and the wording is just … off. It may be overly formal and awkward, or it could be full of grammar mistakes and punctuation errors. Professional companies don't let this fly. A job posting should be easy to read and understand, and that doesn't mean that there can't be a typo or two. Think about it this way — if a job posting is unprofessional and awkward, what would it be like to work for that company?
- Vague job description The hours are good and the pay looks great, but what exactly would you be doing? Job descriptions shouldn't be hard to understand. If you can't figure out what you would be doing in a particular job based on the description, assume that you don't want to know. It's likely a scam.
- Suspicious URL While doing your due diligence, you check out the company website that was either listed with the job posting or given to you by the recruiter. First, check out that URL — is the company name spelled correctly? Most companies want their website URL to be short and sweet because that helps Google identify their page easily, so a long and confusing URL may be a bad sign. You'll also want to check out the country code if there is one. If the URL is clearly from another country, weigh that against what you already know about the job posting.
- The recruiter has a generic email Whether your correspondence is with a recruiter from a recruiting agency or the HR person at the hiring company, you should expect that they'll have a company email address. If the recruiter is using a generic email service, like Gmail or Yahoo, they're either not legit or really unprofessional. In either case, you'll want to move on.
- Asking for an interview via messaging service With it being an increasingly digital world, remote interviews are more commonplace. However, there are still some basic guidelines that should be followed. Interviews are still typically held by phone or video conferencing software, like Skype or Zoom. Using a messaging or chat service is highly unprofessional and a good way for a scammer to hide his identity. Simply put, no legitimate company is going to ask you to interview for a job by way of a messaging service.
- You get an immediate job offer If you apply for a job and are offered the position almost immediately, something fishy is going on. Even a great resume doesn't tell the entire story. Legitimate companies want to talk with you first to get to know your personality as well as your list of accomplishments.
- You get asked for personal information Timing is everything on this one. There is a point in the interview process where the employer may need to get some personal information, such as your social security number, to conduct a background check. If an employer is asking you for your social security number, bank account information, or other personal information and you're still early in the interview process, it should trigger your scam alert senses. It should be clearly stated upfront why they need this information and if it makes you feel uncomfortable, it's probably time to move on.
- You're asked to pay for something You've been looking for a work-from-home position, and you finally found one that looks amazing. The only problem is that you're asked to pay some money at the start to help fund the equipment you'll need to get set up. Don't fall for it — this is a simple grab-the-money-and-run scam. No reputable company should ask you to pay them to get equipment for your job. It's that simple. Protect yourself by doing your research The simplest way to help yourself stay clear of job scams is by doing your own research. If you see a job posting or receive a call that intrigues you, put it on pause for a day or two and hit the internet. Look for: A professional company website Professional profiles of any recruiters with whom you've spoken Social media presence Accreditation or rating with the Better Business Bureau Company reputation reviews on sites like Glassdoor or Indeed With a little research, you can not only find out if a company and a job are legit, but you can also see if the company is the right fit for you. How to report a job scam If you come across a job scam and you want to see justice, it's up to you to report it. There are several steps to reporting a job scam, but you can save a lot of people from getting ripped off. Here are the steps:
- Report it to the Internet Crime Complaint Center
- Report it to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
- Report the company to the Better Business Bureau (BBB)
- Let the job site know about a fraudulent listing Don't get discouraged. The vast majority of job postings you'll find are legit; just keep your eyes open, keep these tips in mind and trust your gut. #scam #workscam
Lovely to wake up to a scam first thing in the morning but...here we are.
Northvolt does not use gmail accounts to send job offers, nor do they ask you to download #telegram. Which seems to be a popular app for scam artists to use.
Matilda Tidlund kindly showed me another site to report the fraud to: https://lnkd.in/gKsDYbhe.
If you are looking to find a job with NorthVolt, I strongly suggest that you go directly to their website: https://lnkd.in/gmUmBqft and apply there.
If they email a coorespondance, their domain will be @northvolt.com
If you believe you have been the victim of a #scam or been contacted by a fraudulant party, please report the incident to ReportFraud.ftc.gov/#/ and https://lnkd.in/gKsDYbhe.
Always notify the #victim company as well so they can take measures to eliminate this threat.
#ScamDissection #Scam Email number twwwwwwwo: This one is arguably the hardest one I've come across.
There isn't a picture of a person's face, but there is a picture there. No gramatical errors, has first and last name both in the email and the salutations, not asking me to download anything, the website linked actually has webinar in it and looks legitimate...interviews will be over zoom, has the disclaimer at the end...
Totally legit right?
Wrong.
The email #domainname ends with "Applytojob.com" which no company in their right mind would use.
The webinar link may very well be legitimate - but I'm not going to click on it until the company #verifies the employee works there (she does not). Sarah Garcia seems like a #legitimate name and isn't foreign (not that all foreign names are fraud!!! It's just a trend I've seen in scams and one that I keep an eye out for).
There's no telephone number - not a deal breaker but most #professionals have them.
No department name but a title is there.
The biggest flag in this case is the domain name. The company uses AILLife.com and this simply doesn't match.
If you believe you have been the #victim of a #fraud or have been contacted by a fraudulant party, please remember to report it to ReportFraud.ftc.gov/#/ and the company that is being victimized.
American Income Life Insurance Company will not contact you with an email domain of "applytojob(dot)com"
I was contacted about an interview with this legitimate company by a scam artist posing to be from their facility. Upon calling the company, this person could not be verified as an employee and the email domain was not a match.
If you are looking for a job with American Income, please be sure that to go to their website: https://lnkd.in/d4wie8Zu and apply directly there.
Any incoming emails from AIL will have the domain "AILlife.com "
As always, if you are the victim of a scam or believe you have encountered a scam artist, please report it to ReportFraud.ftc.gov/#/ and notify the company they are posing as.
Rackspace Technology has officially gotten back with me and the email I received was, indeed, a #scam. I must admit it was the most convincing scam I've come across thus far.
If you are interested in a job with Rackspace Technology please go to their website: https://rackspace.jobs/
Here are the tips to look for when applying for and receiving correspondance from Rackspace:
-Rackspace Technology recruiters will arrange all interviews and job offers via an official “Rackspace.com / Rackspace.co.uk” email address utilizing Lever and Zoom - Please exercise caution if you choose to provide personal information via email or other social media channels. Do not click any links that you do not recognize -Applicants should visit our career page (https://rackspace.jobs/) to see all postings and/or apply on this website only -Job Postings on LinkedIn etc. will also route you to our careers page
In addition, Rackspace Technology will never ask for any financial commitment from a candidate as a pre-employment requirement.
As always, if you believe you have been the victim of a scam or received a fraudulant offer - please report it to ReportFraud.ftc.gov/#/ and notify the company they are posing as.
Those companies are just as much as a victim as we are, their reputation, their name, and their brand is at stake.
#Knowwhosinterviewing #Fraudprevention #Jobseekers #ReportFraud
I thought I would pick this message apart and give a few tips on the flags I got with it.
- He/she doesn't have a last name or a profile picture.
- I did not apply for a job at this company.
- "Mr. Steve" - he/she didn't provide a first and last name and used the person's first name.
- "to confirm your availability" - "The interview has been scheduled for--" - If it's to confirm my availability, then they won't schedule it. It seems as though official employers won't schedule appointments without asking but...I haven't heard from anyone...so this is speculation on my end.
- The email ends in "gmail .com" - Be leery of these.
- A name was not put at the end of the message but rather the company's name. (Which does not match the name on the site mind you.)
- It was sent on a Saturday at 11:03pm - Keep in mind that you may be contacted by companies in a different time zone BUT if you are looking for a regular hourly paid job, it's highly unlikely that they would contact you after hours. This particular person stated they were EST time zone which means they sent this at midnight their time.
That's my #ScamDissection for the day.
I hope it helps others who are like me, and desperately looking for work.
#JobSeekers #Scamalert #Knowwhosinterviewing #fraudprevention
There is a job called Mail Processor - Postal service DO NOT APPLY!!! This is a very realistic scam, they ask all the right questions and their website looks very realistic. They ask for your bank info at the end and if you give it to them they will take $89.00 #scam #customerservice