Looking for a job is hard work and the last thing you need is identity theft while searching for employment. Today’s job market begins and ends online. It might be easier to apply and look for work online, but the ease of sophisticated threats directed at job seekers is new.
Before entering personal information online, check the web address bar. There should be a ‘s’ at the end of the http during the beginning of the web address. Bogus jobs are set up in order to skim contact information from victims. These ‘jobs’ are often posted on legitimate social media pages. Scams can be sent via a shortened URL such as bit.ly, etc. They can lead anywhere. Keep your shields up on social media.
Don’t provide confidential information until you have signed a contract with the potential employer. Some scammers ask for bank account numbers to set up direct deposit. Don’t be discouraged while seeking employment online, just be careful how you go about it. Limit the amount of contact information. You can set up a specific email address for job hunting. Be selective where you post your resume. An employer can always ask you for your personal information, not shared online, if they are interested. A legitimate employer would never ask these details via email or digital form. Scammers crawl the internet for personal information. Make sure the recruiter on social media is genuine before you click and apply. If the job seems too good to be true, it probably is. Run an online search on the recruiter’s name. The most common job scam online includes data entry, stuffing envelopes, rebate, forms processing, wire transfers, money movement, craft assembly, work from home gigs, and shipping management.
The structure of an email can be a red flag. Scammers often have grammar issues, misspellings, and punctuation errors. They often mimic legitimate letterheads, but if it looks off, just delete it. Don’t download any attachments or links from these emails. It’s a scary world where threats are posed everywhere. Keep your eyes open.
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