If you're looking for a job, you're probably not alone. With a current unemployment rate over 9 percent, many job seekers are turning to online job boards to post their resume and look for work.
But it comes with a warning from the Better Business Bureau (BBB). The agency says as more people turn to the internet to search for a job, more scams are popping up. The BBB's advice: proceed with caution before sharing personal qualifications and inquiring about jobs online.
There's no doubt, the internet has made searching for jobs easier. But it also creates opportunities for ID thieves and scammers looking to take advantage of eager and unsuspecting job seekers. The BBB says Monster.com, Careerbuilder.com, Craigslist and even Facebook are breeding grounds for scammers.
"Job seekers need to know how to spot a potential job scam," said David Polino, Better Business Bureau President. "Get to know the common red flags and before you post your resume to a career site or inquire about a job, make sure you're dealing with someone reputable. We know job scammers are lurking and some have even had candidates set up direct deposit accounts as part of the application process. They make it seem as though it's naturally part of the process to get an interview-when it's absolutely not."
BBB advises job hunters to be on the look out for these red flags when conducting their job search:
- Employer emails are rife with grammatical and spelling errors. Most online fraud is perpetrated by scammers located outside the U.S. Their first language usually isn't English and this is often evident in their poor grasp of the language which can include poor grammar and the misspelling of common words.
- Emails purporting to be from job posting websites claiming there's a problem with a job hunter's account. After creating a user account on sites like Monster.com, Careerbuilder.com or Craigslist.com, a job hunter might receive an e-mail saying there has been a problem with their account or they need to follow a hyperlink to install new software. Phishing e-mails like this are designed to convince readers to click a link within the message to fix the issue, but actually take them to a website that will install malware or viruses on their computer.
- An employer asks for extensive personal information such as social security or bank account numbers. Some job seekers have been surprised to learn they've gotten a job without having to do a single interview. However, when the employer then asked for personal information in order to fill out the necessary paperwork suspicions were raised - and rightly so. Regardless of the reason or excuse given by the employer, a job applicant should never give out his or her Social Security or bank account numbers over the phone or e-mail.
- An employer offers the opportunity to become rich without leaving home. While there are legitimate businesses that allow employees to work from home, there are also a lot of scammers trying to take advantage of senior citizens, stay-at-home moms, students and injured or handicapped people looking to make money at home. Job hunters should use extreme caution when considering a work-at-home offer and always research the company with their BBB first at bbb.org.
- An employer asks for money upfront. Aside from paying for a uniform, it is rarely advisable for an applicant to pay upfront fees or make a required purchase to get a job. Most recently, the BBB of Metropolitan Dallas uncovered a scam where job hunters were told they had to pay $64.50 for a background check before they could be considered for a cleaning job. Predictably, after paying for the background check, the job seeker never heard from the company again.
- The salary and benefits offered seem too-good-to-be-true. The adage holds true for job offers: if the deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Phony employers might brag about exceptionally high salary potential and excellent benefits for little experience in order to lure unsuspecting job hunters into their scam.
- The job requires the employee to wire money through Western Union or MoneyGram. Many phony jobs require the prospective employee to cash a check sent by the company through the mail and then wire a portion of the money on to another entity. Reasons given for this requirement vary from scam to scam. Whatever the reason though, the check might clear the employee's bank account but will eventually turn out to be a fake and the employee is out the money he or she wired back to the scammers.
Bottom line, be careful when searching for jobs online. Even if you go to a credible website, there could be scammers lurking there too.
