How to protect yourself from scammers offering fake jobs

Job scams have been on the rise as scammers look to companies and recruiters to trick people into giving money or personal information.

NEW YORK (AP) — Between finding a job, sending in your resume and interviewing, the job search is tough. Now a growing trend of scammers impersonating recruiters makes it even harder.

In the past year, job scams have been on the rise, according to Eva Velasquez, president and CEO of the Identity Theft Resource Center, a nonprofit that helps consumers when their identities are compromised.

Since most job seekers turn to online platforms for employment, scammers impersonate companies and recruiters to trick people into giving them money or personal information.

“We’ve really seen a tremendous increase in job scams,” Velasquez said. “I think that’s because we’ve fundamentally changed the way we recruit and hire people.”

It happened to Tehseen Islam, a 28-year-old quality assurance analyst. He had been looking for a job for several months when he finally received an offer from a well-known marketing technology company. Or at least he thought he did.

After a week-long process that included an online form with interview screening questions, Islam was offered the job and received a check. He was asked to submit it and send the company $1,000 to pay for shipping the equipment he needed to work.

A few days later, her bank notified her that the check had bounced, and because she appeared to be cooperating with the scammers, it was terminating all banking relationships with her. That’s when he found out the job was a scam.

“I’m a little traumatized,” said Islam, who lost the $1,000 and unknowingly shared personal information with the scammers.

If you’re looking for a job, here are some expert tips on how to avoid job scams:

Learn how job scams work

Job scams are a type of impersonation scam.

Scammers tend to use the name of an employee at a large company and create a job posting that matches similar positions. An initial red flag is that scammers usually try to make the job very attractive, Velasquez said.

“They’re going to have very high wages for somewhat low-skilled work,” she said. “And I often say it’s a 100 percent remote position because it’s so appealing to people.”

Some scammers post fake jobs, but others reach job seekers directly through direct messages or text messages. If scammers are looking to steal your personal information, they may ask you to fill out several forms that include information such as your social security number and driver’s license details.

The only information a legitimate employer should ask for early in the process is your skills, work experience and contact information, Velasquez said.

Generally, other details should not be shared with an employer until after you have received an offer.

Do your research

Whether you’re responding to a job posting or a recruiter, you need to research the company, especially if you didn’t initiate the conversation, Velasquez said.

Fake recruiters often contact job seekers via social media or text messages. If someone contacts you, verify their identity before replying to their message.

Here are some pointers as you research the recruiter or company:

– Don’t answer the message right away.

— Go online and search if the company has current jobs on its official website.

— Research the recruiter’s name and check if the person has a verifiable social media presence.

— If the company has a job opening on its website, apply directly through the website.

Do not reply or click on links

If you receive a message from a recruiter, it’s best not to reply unless you know the source is trustworthy. Avoid clicking on any links sent to you, either to apply for a job or to complete a survey.

In Islam’s case, the scammers sent him a form with interview screening questions asking for personal information.

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Do not deposit checks

A common tactic is for scammers to send you a fake signing bonus and then ask you to send some money back, supposedly to cover expenses. That’s one way scammers can steal money from job seekers, said Alvaro Puig, a consumer education specialist at the Federal Trade Commission.

“If you deposit a check and it’s fake, your account will show that the money is there. But a few days later, the bank will discover that it was a fake check,” Puig said.

So if you withdraw money from your account and send it to the fake recruiter, the money will come from your bank account and it will be impossible to get it back.

Be selective with the jobs you trust

When looking for jobs through platforms like LinkedIn and Indeed, Velasquez recommends being extra cautious with job openings and recruiters you trust. Although these platforms are reputable and many of their job postings are real, companies cannot verify every posted job opportunity. This creates an opportunity for scammers to post fake job listings and trick people.

“Don’t let platforms that you know are legitimate allow other people to borrow that trust,” Velasquez said.

After her experience with job scams, Islam has been more careful with the jobs she trusts. Now, she has a list of steps she follows, including verifying a recruiter’s email with a free email address validator like Emailable or Clearout and calling the company directly.

“It adds a lot more time to the job search now, but I can’t blindly trust that this person is who they say they are,” Islam said.

Report the scam

If you or a family member is the victim of a scam, it is good practice to report it to FTC website.