Stay safe while searching for work online.
Work opportunities available to skilled and hardworking professionals have evolved substantially in recent years. Current job opportunities are commonly found through search engines, social networking platforms, and job sites. However, while there are many legitimate opportunities available online, there are also plenty of scams that can result in considerable stress and financial loss for unsuspecting individuals.
It is important when working online or looking for jobs online to ensure that you are making smart, safe choices that will lead to success. By doing a little homework on the companies you are interested in applying with and the places that you do business, you can avoid having your identity stolen or money scammed out of your account.
There are multiple steps that you can take to protect yourself while looking for a job online. For example, you can and should stay current about the latest scams so that you know what to watch for.
Trust your instincts.
If a position looks too good to be true—pay attention. Telecommuting is a great way for people to work flexibly from their homes, but the important thing to notice in that statement is “work.” Employers who offer great opportunities to their employees to work from home are expecting a certain level of professionalism, so positions where there are no restrictions or requirements up front should be vetted for legitimacy.
Look at the web address.
This may seem like a logical thing to do whenever you are going to a website, but little changes in the web address can lead you to a potential scam website or copycat. Being able to spot a scam URL can save you time and energy, so make sure to always open a fresh browser and Google the company name to match it to the one provided on the job listing.
The difference between an ‘s’ at the end of a company name or not can take you to a false website that looks similar to the one you are seeking.
Be wary of requests for money.
There are plenty of job scams where the employers do not come directly out and ask for money, but instead insist that their employees purchase software, download programs, or purchase items from them directly. Legitimate employers will not require that you purchase anything, like training programs or software, prior to being hired by their company. Always be wary of downloading or paying for any proprietary software or giving any banking information to an employer directly as a prerequisite for being hired.
It should be noted that this is different than an employer requiring that you have a certain Internet speed, or computer operating system, to be qualified for their jobs. Often times, legitimate work-from-home jobs have BYOD (bring your own device) requirements, like using Windows 7 or higher, having high-speed Internet service, or having a certain size monitor.
Unsolicited Job Offers
Unsolicited job offers often come in the form of a job scam emails. These offers are not sought out by the job seeker and offer either immediate employment or the opportunity to interview for a great job. Some scammers will even pretend to be from a well-known company or job board (such as FlexJobs, ZipRecruiter, or Indeed) to convince a job seeker to interview. These offers may also come in through social media (like Facebook or Instagram).
Even LinkedIn is no stranger to job search and recruitment scams. It is possible that a legitimate recruiter is reaching out to you about a legitimate job. It’s also possible that it’s a scam. Scammers will use LinkedIn to reach out to targets, knowing you’re more likely to fall for the scam because the message is coming through LinkedIn. Treat every unsolicited offer as a job scam — no matter where it comes from.
Career Advancement Grants
This scam is geared towards job seekers who may want or need to gain extra education or certifications for their career. You’ll typically receive an email asking you to apply online for a career advancement grant that supposedly comes from the government and can be directly deposited into your account if approved.
Actual job posting for a career advancement grant scam:
“Hi, hope you are doing well. We were notified that you may be eligible for the new Career Advancement grant. If you have not taken advantage of this program, the deadline is approaching soon. $5,730 can be direct deposited into your account, should you qualify for the grant. Last week 71 members took advantage of this Career Advancement grant. This is a grant from the government and does not have to be paid back.”
Other Job Search Scams to Consider
Using Fake URLs
You come across an online job listing from a well-known company offering work-from-home jobs. Is it too good to be true? Is the company really the company it claims to be?
Scammers will try to recreate the legitimate company’s website by slightly altering the web address. If you’re not looking closely, you may not realize that you’re on a scam website. For example, a real company website might have the address companyname.com. But, when you’re looking at the fake website, the address company-name.com. It’s a subtle change, but it could indicate you’re not on the company’s real website.
Data Entry Scams
Pyramid Marketing
Stuffing Envelopes
Online Re-shipping
How to Identify Job Scams
There are some telltale signs that indicate a job posting is probably a scam:
The ad uses words that are probably too good to be true: quick money, unlimited earning potential, free work-from-home jobs.
There is a sense of urgency, or the recruiter is pushing you to accept the job now. Any legitimate company won’t push you into accepting a job offer immediately.
The job post or email has obvious grammatical or spelling errors.
You’re offered the job without a recruiter verifying your work experience or asking for references.
The “company” has an email domain on from gmail or other popular providers.
The job description is unusually vague.
How to Protect Yourself
While anyone can fall prey to job scams, there are a few things you can do to keep yourself safe while you search online:
Do your homework: research the company and the people who contact you. What results do you get when you search company name + scam?
Connect with the company: go directly to the company website and see if the job is posted on their jobs page.
Trust your gut: if it feels like a scam, it probably is.
Search Safe
Unfortunately, as efforts to contain the COVID-19 spread continue, more people may find themselves looking for work. Remote work offers legitimate jobs for workers in nearly every field. But, it is also an area that’s ripe for scams. Be smart and search safely and read more about how to spot and avoid job search scams. If you are interested in remote jobs you should familiarize yourself with the common career fields that frequently allow workers to earn an income from home. If you encounter an opportunity that you are not sure about please feel free to contact Career Services and we will be happy to check it out!
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