Employment Service Scams Prey on Job Seekers

While some anxiety-ridden job hunters are trying unorthodox techniques to find work, others are falling prey to scam artists offering bogus employment services.

The rip-offs generally are variations on a simple theme, involving firms that fleece unsuspecting consumers by charging upfront fees without ever finding jobs for them or delivering legitimate job leads.

Those who believe that they have been wronged can file complaints with local, state or federal consumer protection officials, but no government agency keeps a close eye on the industry.

In California, the agency that policed employment firms, the Bureau of Personnel Services, was disbanded in 1988. “We have no idea what’s going on out there,” said Herschel T. Elkins, the consumer law chief for the California attorney general’s office.

Over the years, the overseas employment business has been particularly abuse-prone. In one major case, authorities shut down Los Angeles-based Overseas Unlimited Agency four years ago after accusing it of bilking 70,000 clients of more than $25 million.

Recently, consumer protection officials have cited an outpouring of complaints about firms that advertise “900” or “976” phone numbers for job-listing services that promise to provide names of firms that are hiring.

In a case settled last year with the Federal Trade Commission, consumers who placed toll calls to a Georgia firm were told to leave a message or send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to get job information.

The job hunters weren’t told that they would be charged $18 for their calls. And, according to the government’s complaint, many never received a reply from the firm.

To avoid being ripped off, authorities tell job seekers, be wary of firms that charge upfront fees. They also suggest that consumers insist on a written contract and, if the firm fails to deliver on its promises, demand a refund.