Common Job Scams And How To Avoid Them At All Cost
Common job scams and how to avoid them at all cost: Before you apply for a job, you must know that job scams are common all over the internet and anyone can be deceived into one.
Of course, scammers have always existed, but the ever-increasing use of technology has enabled them to get creative and affect more people.
Work-at-home jobs have always been a target of scammers. However, they’ve recently become even larger targets thanks in part to the pandemic. With many people either losing or quitting their job, there are more job seekers out there to fall victim. Scammers are incredibly tuned into the fact that some job seekers are desperate to make money, and they will use this in recruiting new professionals who may not be accustomed to looking for work-from-home jobs.
In this article, we have gathered information on typical job scams, discuss the warning signs to look for, and provided valuable points on how to avoid them.
Common Jobs Scams
Work from home
Job scams aren’t new, but the increase of remote jobs, along with advanced online technology, has allowed scammers to ramp up their efforts.
Scammers are aware of the rising popularity of remote work and have responded with a corresponding rise in work-from-home job scams. Often, the scam involves persuading a job seeker to pay a fee or purchase items. For example, the position may require you to submit an initial registration charge to get started, with the promise of commissions if you can get others to sign on, too.
However, scammers have used this rising trend to their advantage, luring victims in with the promise of earning thousands of dollars a month all from the comfort of their homes.
Read Also: 5 Most In-demand Remote Jobs in South Africa Right Now
Government jobs
If a listing or offer for a supposed government job asks you to pay a fee to apply or acquire information that can improve your candidacy, it’s a scam. Government agencies don’t require fees for candidates. Also, many government jobs are accessible only through official channels such as USA Jobs.
Career Consulting
Sometimes, desperate times call for desperate measures. And that’s exactly what some less-than-honorable career consultants are hoping for. These individuals are looking for people who are desperately in need of a job. They will tell you that you have an impressive resume and would like to help you find a job. But to ensure your success, you’ll need to improve certain skills by purchasing some of their products or services, including training sessions. While their job may be valid, getting you to buy their products and/or services before helping you get a job is still a scam.
Email Scams
One day, you may receive an email from someone claiming to be a recruiter who found your resume on a job board.
They ask you to fill out an online form and provide your full name, SIN, home address, a scan of your passport, and banking information before hiring you. While your name might be necessary, the other information isn’t.
How to Avoid Job Scams
It’s not always easy to discern whether a job is a recruitment fraud or not, especially these days. This is why it’s incredibly important that you can spot them before you get swindled out of your time or, worse, your hard-earned money.
Do your search.
Look up the name of the company or the person who’s hiring you, plus the words “scam,” “review,” or “complaint.” You might find out they’ve scammed other people.
Connect to the company’s website
Did you see a job offer on social media supposedly from a company? Don’t take everything at face value. Shoot the company an email asking if the offer is legit or, at least, check the company’s website to see if the listing is there. If the job opening is real, it should be on the website.
Talk to someone you trust.
Describe the offer to them. What do they think? This also helps give you vital time to think about the offer.
Verify website security.
You can avoid illegitimate jobs by verifying websites and their security measures. Make sure the web address includes “https://” at the beginning, not “http://.” This verifies that the site is both authentic and secure. You can also determine how long the site has been active and to whom it’s registered by inputting its URL into a domain age and website registry tool.
Don’t pay for the promise of a job.
Legitimate employers, including the federal government, will never ask you to pay to get a job. Anyone who does is a scammer.
Trust your instincts
Even if you do your research, you’ll come up against some scammers who are clever and thorough in setting up their schemes. If at any point you start to have doubts, you should trust your gut. Ask questions and take note of their answers. Don’t feel pressured to commit. More importantly, don’t provide them with personal information until you’re sure.
Look for complaints
Job sites often have review sections where employees and candidates share the experiences they had with an employer. Search for a potential employer on these sites and see what others have said. Their remarks can reveal whether the employer is legitimate and thus guide your decision to move forward.
Don’t accept an offer when you didn’t apply.
Sometimes, scammers will contact you out of nowhere, saying you’re hired for a job that you didn’t apply for. This is, of course, a scam.
