Job seekers beware: Scam ads online target the unemployed
Looking for a job is not a pleasant experience even in the best of times. Add record-high unemployment and a tidal wave of competition to the mix, and the search for employment can be maddening.
Now there’s even more for job seekers to be concerned about: crooks who exploit the unemployed by posting fake job ads online. These ads dupe job hunters into divulging personal and financial information that lets crooks steal money upfront or assume their identities to steal money later.
Consumer advocates say such scams are on the rise. It seems that the economic downturn has hit the criminal underworld and that job scams are becoming a second career.
“People are turning to identity theft as an alternative source of income,” said Adam Levin, chairman and co-founder of Identity Theft 911. “There is a special place in hell for the people who prey on people who are suffering because of this environment.”
To avoid getting trapped in your own hell, use caution when responding to job ads online, consumer advocates say. Put as little personal information on your resume as possible. Instead of your full address, provide just your city and state. Create a separate e-mail account. And never put your Social Security number, date of birth or other sensitive information on your resume or in a response to a job ad.
Job seekers “need to give some consideration to the risk of searching for a job,” said Linda Foley, co-founder of the Identity Theft Resource Center. “The risk is you are exposing personal information.”
Foley recommends checking a company’s background before sending your information. “You don’t know who you are actually contacting.”
Experts urge people to scrutinize online ads for clues of a scam. Does the ad ask for sensitive information that is atypical for a job application? Are there misspellings or grammatical errors? Is it claiming to offer a job overseas?
Also, be leery of any ad that asks you to pay for training, background checks or other services before an in-person interview and job offer. A popular scam offers an edge in getting a position with the postal service or another federal agency to those who pay for the privilege.
“Any time an ad asks a consumer to pay a fee upfront, that’s a big red flag,” said John Breyault, director of the National Consumers League’s Fraud Center. “A legitimate employment agency won’t charge you until you get a job, and usually it’s the employer that pays that.”
Consumers also need to exercise common sense, said Steve Bernas, president of the Better Business Bureau of Chicago and Northern Illinois.
“We’ve had cases where people have been asked for their bank account number for direct deposit before they’ve even been interviewed,” Bernas said.
The bottom line: Don’t let eagerness or desperation for a job cloud your judgment.
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