Fraud and Scams in your job search ~ Protect yourself

The Sad Reality…. 

I take fraud very seriously. The sad reality of the world we live in is that Scam and Fraud are commonplace. We have to learn to be street smart in our everyday lives. Even in our Job Search! I realize that some of this writing may be common knowledge, but we can all use a refresher, and I hope this reaches those new to the job search process.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, Fraud in the job search has increased five times over the past five years. Studies published by the Better Business Bureau reveled that 14 million victims between 2020 and 2023 fell prey to job search scams with financial losses accounting for $450 million. Job Scams are crafty, well thought out and are easy to fall victim to if you are not alert and paying attention to the small detail.  

The rise of Fraud in the Job Search is contributed to the advancement of AI technology that allows scammers to write professional job descriptions as well as the rise of Remote Opportunity that allows room for the identity theft of common documents that any company would need for your employment. E.g. Driver's License for identification, Social Security Card for W-2 or I-9 and Banking Account details for direct deposit. Identity theft documents are easy to fraud from job seekers that are often excited about becoming employed. 

Common Scams and methods to be on the lookout for in your job search…. 

• The Fake Job Listings - Fake job listings are job listings that sponsor a fake company (A company that doesn't exist OR attempt to duplicate the identity of a legitimate company, while advertising a job that is not legitimate.) Although, leading job boards do their best to catch fake job listings, some listings fall through the cracks. 
• The Imposters – An imposter is someone who is pretending to be someone else in the context of the scam. They typically represent themselves as hiring personnel of the company or an independent recruiter representing the company when in fact, they don't. 
• Paid Recruitment Services - You may receive communications from someone claiming to be a recruiter who found your resume on a job board. Most communications come from legitimate recruiters, but others may come from dishonest people trying to deceive you. If anyone asks you for money to represent you to a job opportunity, do not give it to them. You will never have to give a recruiter money to represent you to a job, unless you hire a retained recruiter, which unless you're a high-level executive you're not likely to do.   
• Equipment Purchase - Some fraudulent employers claim to offer a candidate a remote job and then ask the candidate to purchase or submit payment for their remote work equipment, like a computer. Typically, the scammer claims the payment is mandatory before they can officially onboard you, and they promise to reimburse you on your paycheck. Once they receive payment or receive the equipment, they keep the money and cease all contact.

How to avoid being falling into a scam

In today's world, we have to do our due diligence better than ever. We can avoid falling victim to scams simply by doing our research! Google the company that is interested in hiring you and read their reviews. Search for the company on LinkedIn. Make sure they have both an established Google listing and LinkedIn account.   

Some scammers pose as if they work for an established company. They may purchase email addresses that look very similar to an email address of a legitimate company. Look at the email extension of the person who is sending you an email carefully. For example, john.doe@google.com vs. john.doe@googgle.com. See the difference? 

Any hiring or management professional will have a professional LinkedIn account. If you are in doubt that you are communicating with a legitimate person, search for the person on LinkedIn and review their profile. They should have a well-established LinkedIn profile with a reasonable number of connections.  

For remote positions, be aware of employer requests such as up front equipment purchasing, and upfront document sharing. You may be responsible for purchasing equipment to preform your remote job, but you will never have to mail the equipment to them. You should also never have to pay upfront costs of any kind to be onboarded to a company. 

If the pay seems too good to be true, it probably is. If a company offers to pay you more than market rate for your industry and experience, it should be a red flag to a scam.  

DO NOT send any personal documents to any company upfront. It is only appropriate to send employment related documents AFTER an offer letter has been accepted and only after you have verified that the employer is legitimate. 

What to do if you suspect a fraudulent Job Posting or onboarding process?

If you have question or suspect that a job posting or an application process is suspicious, contact reach out to a trusted source immediately so that they may review and advise. Do not send your resume or continue an application process without advisement if you have question or see any red flags. 

Bringing it all together

In summary, although it's important to be smart and look out for red flags while conducting your job search, don't be overly paranoid about scams as it may result in you being withdrawn from consideration for a legitimate position. Do your research, pay attention to detail and watch out for red flags. If you question anything, contact a trusted source for their opinion. 

If you would like to have a complementary conversation about how we may benefit you in your job search, feel free to message us!