The same channels used by legitimate companies to advertise employment are also used by scammers: newspapers, job sites, social media, TV, and occasionally radio. They claim to be offering you a job, but really they only want your money and private data. Here are some illustrations of employment scams along with tips for avoiding them.
To prevent common job frauds, follow these measures before accepting a job offer:
- Look it up online. In addition to the terms "scam," "review," or "complaint," look up the name of the business or the recruiting manager. Find out whether anyone else has reported being conned by that business or individual. No grievances? Complaints might alert you to potential issues, but they don't ensure that a business is trustworthy.
- Speak with a trustworthy person. Tell them about the offer. How do they feel? Additionally, it allows you have the critical time to consider the offer.
- Never pay for a job that seems promising. Sincere employers will never demand payment in order to hire you, not even the federal government. Whoever does so is a con artist.
- Never put your money in a "cleared" check. A sincere prospective employer would never give you a check to deposit, instruct you to pay over a portion of the money, or use the funds to purchase gift cards. It's a phony check fraud. The bank will demand payment for the amount of the fraudulent check if the check bounces.