Protect yourself from these 7 job searching scams

Attention all job seekers: Protect yourself from these 7 job scams

April 25, 2023 2:15 PM

Job seekers are already under a lot of pressure to find the right job, for the right pay, location and schedule. They also have to be on the lookout for scams.

The Better Business Bureau estimates that 14 million people are exposed to employment scams each year, losing job hunters $2 billion annually. And since many companies now have fully remote communication and interview processes for their candidates, scammers are primed to take full advantage of prospective applicants from behind a screen.

From faking URLs to phishing, Flexjobs, a search engine for remote jobs, has put together a list of common job scams to keep in mind while clicking through job ads. While Flexjobs vets every job posting on their site, job seekers should still be cautious regardless of where they are looking for opportunities. Fortunately, the red flags are easy to spot once people are aware of them, says Toni Frana, lead career expert at Flexjobs.

"Keywords like "free work from home job," "quick money" and "unlimited earning potential" are red flags and require the job seeker to do additional research to protect themselves," says Frana. "Also look out for a sense of urgency, like they try to hire you without interviewing you."

Other common warning signs include the "recruiter" contacting someone through a generic email address, since most companies have their own email service provider, or asking the candidate to front money and promising to reimburse them at a later date. Frana encourages people to always do their due diligence on the company they are communicating with and report suspicious job posts to the Better Business Bureau or the Federal Trade Commission.

Here are seven common scams to avoid on the next job hunt, according to Flexjobs.

Fake URLs

Scammers will slightly alter a legitimate company's website name, sending the job seeker to a fake website, explains Frana. The URL change could be as small as "companyname.com" to "company-name.com." Meanwhile, the scammers may steal pictures from the real company to create more believable websites and social media accounts.

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Frana advises job seekers to always search the company up themselves, rather than just clicking on a provided link from the recruiter.

Communicating solely through an instant messenger

If a recruiter asks the candidate to download a messaging app like Telegram, which has been under fire for being vulnerable to ransomware and phishing, then that's a red flag, underlines Frana.

"If a company is only communicating with you through apps or instant messaging, you definitely want to do a bit more research on the organization and what the role entails," she says. "They may want to communicate this way to gather personal information on you through encryption activities."

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Frana notes that legitimate companies want to at least speak verbally with the candidate — if a recruiter is avoiding a verbal conversation, then something is wrong.

Phishing

Phishing is when scammers trick candidates into revealing personal information or manage to install malware onto the seeker's device through a link. If a job post requires the person to click on a specific link or reveal financial information to move forward in the hiring process, that's a big red flag, explains Frana.

If the job ad seems suspicious or a recruiter is acting odd, Frana advises job seekers to contact the company directly by searching for the company's contact information themselves; do not depend on the contact information provided.

Not even Google Docs are safe

If the company hiring invites or mentions the job seeker in an unfamiliar Google Doc, then be on guard, warns Frana.

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"It's not as well known as other scams, but it's still being used against job seekers," she says. "These [docs] typically provide a link for you to click on that says 'start earning now.' It's this promise of immediate results again."

Frana asks job seekers to take a close look at the email used to send the doc, too. A quick Google search could reveal whether that email is associated with the company the scammers are claiming to represent.

Data entry jobs

While a remote job entering data for a company may sound appealing, there are a lot of scams out there. Frana notes that scammers often promise a lot of money for a data entry role, despite requiring little skill relative to the proposed pay. Once the candidate shows interest, the company may ask them to send money for their own training or technology.

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"That's always a sign," says Frana. "It's a big red flag if a company is asking for money during the job application process."

Assembling a product

If a company remotely hires someone to assemble a simple product like a gift basket for a customer, but expects the new employee to front the costs of materials, it's likely a scam, says Frana.

"The [scammer] may say that they will reimburse you for the expenses and pay you for your time," she says. "But oftentimes, the money never shows up."

Career advancement grants

If an organization sends an email asking someone to apply for a grant to help with extra education certifications, be wary. Scammers often ask for the candidate's financial information in the application form, promising to deposit the grant money if they are chosen.

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Again, the scam may seem obvious, but if the job seeker isn't familiar with these tactics, it may be harder to discern the red flags than they think.

"If we inform job seekers, they can protect themselves," says Frana. "They don't have to be victims during their job search."