There’s a new wave of scams floating around, and it’s something we should all be aware of. There are a couple different flavors, but it’s all equally fraudulent.
Here are Five Fast Facts on new job scams:
- 😡 Referral Scams - In some cases, the scammer poses as a professor or dean who has recommended them and is encouraging them to apply for a job. The end goal is to steal their identity or personal bank information. This can be especially effective if hackers have gotten access to key email addresses from the institution.
- 💻 On The Boards - Another version is where scammers use job boards like LinkedIn or ZipRecruiter to post fake job ads, and then conduct fake interviews over chat or email. These will often end with the job seeker putting up money for “office equipment” that never arrives. In many cases, these fake jobs use real company names and locations.
- 🎯 Prime Targets - New college grads, soon-to-be grads, and other young professionals are the main targets because they’re so excited to get their first job and get out there into the world that they often miss warning signs that more experienced job seekers would catch. They are also the most comfortable conducting important transactions online. #screenbabies
- 😢 Tough On Everyone - This is obviously devastating for job seekers who get scammed! But it’s tough on recruiters and the companies who are used by these scammers. Both can end up getting massive negative reviews from job seekers without ever knowing why or actually being at fault.
- 🛡️ Protect Yourself - If you’re a job seeker, make sure you’ve made independent contact with the company, and be skeptical about interviews only conducted over email, chat, or an app. The FTC (Federal Trade Commission) and many recruiters have warnings on their websites, and offer guidance on how to confirm job postings and interviews are legit. And don’t forget to run these things by a trusted mentor, parent, or friend as a sanity check, too!
🔥Bottom line: Getting your first job should be an exciting time! It’s sad that some people will take advantage of inexperienced job seekers and a struggling job market like this, but it’s the reality we live in. Make sure you protect yourself and get guidance from people you know and trust to make sure that shiny new job is real.
Have you seen any of these scams?
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