How to Avoid These Sophisticated Job Scams

So many of us are dissatisfied with our current employers that some smart person coined the term ” use of rage ” to describe our newfound eagerness to find a new job. The term has been trending on TikTok , but applying too quickly for an opportunity that seems too good to be true can also put you at risk of being drawn into job scams.

Like any other scam, employment scams prey on the vulnerable, but it can be anyone looking for a new or better job, whether they are tired of their current working conditions or have been recently fired and need to find another job as as quickly as possible. . It was the second riskiest scam of 2022 in terms of average dollar loss: according to the latest BBB Scam Tracker Risk Report , the average victim lost about $1,500, overtaking the cryptocurrency scam. Employment fraud has consistently ranked in the top three riskiest scams ever since the BBB began compiling its annual report in 2016. But how do they deceive people and what can you do to detect and avoid them?

How are you being lied to when applying for a job?

Most fake job listings are a honey trap, luring you in with big remote job benefits or unusually high salary ranges for jobs that seem to require very little work. These fake job listings can look very authentic, some even impersonate real employers, and they are all created with the sole purpose of taking your money.

As Josh Yavor, director of information security at cloud-based email security platform Tessian, told HR Brew, scammers “fraudily impersonate employers or parties associated with employers in order to achieve their goals, [which usually represent some kind of financial reward, through the possibility of defrauding get people to transfer money… either by compromising additional accounts, or being able to achieve identity theft.”

A report by HR Brew reveals how scammers created fake CoinDesk job listings and contacted candidates via email purporting to be from the company’s HR department or hiring manager. The “recruiting” emails contained a link that took job seekers to an official-looking CoinDesk website to fill out an “application.” During this process, some applicants shared personal information, putting themselves at great risk of revealing their identity or emptying their bank accounts, especially if they filled out direct deposit information.

The scam often involves an online interview process, usually favoring written components over face-to-face video chats. Victims may even receive “job offers” after which they will be asked to provide their banking information during “onboarding”. Some victims were even sent fake checks that they were instructed to deposit and use to purchase equipment from fraudulent online stores for “other” employees. As we noted earlier, checks can come back even after you see the money in your bank account , meaning that someone who falls for one of these scams could be out of a job, minus money on your bank account and potentially face legal action . for being part of the money mule scheme .

How to recognize fraudulent ads

While there is no reliable method to filter out real and fake job listings, there are ways to improve your chances of avoiding scams. Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Scott Dobroski, VP of Public Affairs at Indeed, advised looking for detailed job descriptions, including clear and specific job listings that match the position and company you are applying for, and make sure they are comply. smell test. If the job posting is several months old, this is another red flag. Be careful if you are prompted to submit an application to an address ending in @gmail or a .net address.

If the link in the job listing leads to another website to complete the application. check the domain in the URL to make sure it matches the company’s legitimate website. If you’ve never heard of it before, Google the name of the company and match its domain to the link URL in the job listing. If there is little information about the company on the Internet or what seems suspicious there, be careful.

Biggest warning sign of all: If the job involves moving money , especially if you’re being asked to do it through peer-to-peer apps like Zelle or PayPal Friends and Family, it’s definitely a scam. No legitimate job will rely on you managing your own money as part of your job responsibilities. This article was edited after publication to include a note about suspicious email addresses.