How to protect yourself from fake scam jobs

Author: ADRIANA MORGA

NEW YORK (AP) — Between searching for jobs, sending out résumés and interviewing, looking for a job can’t be easy. Now a growing trend fraudsters impersonating recruiters makes it even more difficult.

According to Eva Velazquez, president and CEO of the Identity Theft Resource Center, a nonprofit that helps consumers when their identities have been compromised, employment fraud has increased in the past year.

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

“We’re really seeing a huge increase in job fraud,” Velazquez said. “I think it’s just because we’ve fundamentally changed the way we recruit and hire people.”

This is what happened to Tehsin Islam, a 28-year-old quality assurance analyst. She had been looking for a job for months when she finally got an offer from a well-known marketing technology company. Or at least she thought so.

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

A few days later, her bank notified her that the check had bounced and, as it appeared that she was cooperating with fraudsters, it was terminating all banking relations with her. That’s when she found out the job was a scam.

“I’m a little traumatized,” said Islam, who lost $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 scammers:

Learn how job scams work

Employment fraud is a variety impersonation fraud.

Fraudsters usually use the name of an employee of a large company and create a job ad that matches similar positions. According to Velázquez, the main concern is that scammers usually try to make the job look very attractive.

“They will have very high wages for somewhat low-skilled work,” she said. “And they often say it’s a 100% remote position because it’s so attractive to people.”

Some scammers post fake jobs, but others contact job seekers directly through direct messages or text messages. If scammers want 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 early in the process is your skills, your work experience and your contact information, Velasquez said.

Other details generally do not need to be shared with the employer until you have received the offer.

Do your research

Whether you’re responding to a job ad or a recruiter, you should research the company, especially if you haven’t started 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 guidelines while you research a recruiter or company:

Do not respond to messages immediately.
Go online and see if the company has current vacancies on the official website.
Research the recruiter’s name and see if the person has a verifiable social media presence.
If the company has job openings on their website, apply directly through the website.

Do not reply or click on the link

If you receive a message from a recruiter, it’s best not to respond unless you know the source is reputable. Avoid clicking on any links sent to you, whether to apply for a job or fill out a form.

In Islam’s case, scammers sent her a form with probing interview questions asking for her personal information.

Do not deposit checks

A common tactic scammers use is to send you a fake sign-up bonus and then ask for a refund, supposedly to cover expenses. It’s a way for scammers to 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 a fake recruiter, the money will come from your bank account and cannot be returned.

Be selective with jobs you trust

When looking for jobs through platforms like LinkedIn and Indeed, Velasquez recommends being very careful with the jobs 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 fraudsters to post fake job ads and scam people.

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

After her experience with scammers, Islam has become more cautious with the jobs she trusts. Now she has a list of steps she takes, including verifying the recruiter’s email with a free email address verification tool like Emailable or Clearout and calling the company directly.

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

Report fraud

If you or a member of your family has become a victim of fraud, we advise you to report it at FTC website.

The Associated Press receives support from the Charles Schwab Foundation for educational and outreach reporting to promote financial literacy. The independent foundation is separate from Charles Schwab and Co. Inc. AP takes full responsibility for its journalism.

Originally published: Oct 29, 2024 at 1:38 pm EDT