Finding employment can be an ordeal. Between preparing your resume, scanning the listings, finding potential matches, and navigating the many different application processes, looking for work is already a job.

Scammers know that people looking for employment could be in a precarious position. Consequently, many thieves are using this environment to prey on unsuspecting job seekers.

If you’re on a job hunt, it’s crucial to be aware of how scammers might trick you. Let’s go over employment scams, how to spot them, and what you can do to outsmart fraudsters.

Employment Scams: What They Are and Why They’re Dangerous

An employment scam is a form of fraud where offers for work are meant to mislead a victim into paying a fraudster money, divulging sensitive information, or providing free labor.

Also known as a job scam, this form of fraud is hazardous because it takes advantage of prospective victims’ emotions. It exploits a person’s material and psychological vulnerabilities stemming from their employment situation.

Instances of employment scams have risen drastically over the years. The ever-changing economic landscape has led to a competitive job pool. Also, the proliferation of online platforms allows countless listings to get posted on employment websites and social media, regardless of whether the offers are real or not.

How To Spot an Employment Scam

The Federal Trade Commission says it best: It can be hard to tell if a job is real or a scam.

There are many reasons for this, and much of it has to do with the digital-first approach to applying and recruiting:

• Applying online has become a standard across many industries.
• Job listings of all types can be posted on social media and websites.
• People are more accessible through messaging due to smartphones.
  

The Internet and the digital age have made it easier to find and create job listings. As a consequence, thieves take advantage of these technologies to steal from others.

The Federal Trade Commission has listed the typical characteristics of a job scam. A scammer may:

• Make promises that an applicant will make lots of money.
• Promises a job but requires the applicant to pay money first.
• Demand you pay a certain way as part of the onboarding or application process.
  

The popular job search site Indeed also provides a crash course on job scams. They’ve identified 17 common types of scams, illustrating the many different ways scammers have taken advantage of the economic environment. Here are three of them:

• Fake listings on social media: Legitimate employers and scammers alike use job websites and platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn to find potential candidates. A telltale sign of a fake listing is if it asks to pay an application fee.
• Imposters: Scammers can pose as recruiters and send emails or texts claiming they represent an agency or established business. They use this familiarity to gain someone’s trust before attempting to steal money or personal information.
• Bogus career coaching: A fraudster might claim to be a career coach who can provide training and materials to make a prospective victim “stand out” in the candidate pool. They might ask for money in exchange for things they don’t have, like insider tips or access to an expert.
  

How To Avoid Employment Scams

If you’re on a job hunt, there’s a good chance you’re casting a wide net. As such, it can be pretty tricky to spot a fake at first glance. When evaluating potential work, it’s important to have a critical eye so you don’t get caught up in a scam.

Here’s what you can do to guard against potential attacks while you’re looking for work:

• Vet all potential employers: Before responding to a listing, do research on the prospective employer. Check to see if their business is legitimate, either through customer reviews or on networking sites. Look up an employer’s official website and social media and compare it to the job listing in question. Be skeptical if you find any discrepancies.
• Be wary of unsolicited messages: Exercise healthy skepticism when you receive messages from prospective employers. Stop and verify where a message comes from before agreeing to an interview or continuing an application process. If an employer or recruiter you don’t remember soliciting tries to contact you, maintain your guard.
• Never divulge sensitive information: Keep your bank information, government-issued documents, and other formal identification to yourself. A legitimate employer will only request these things after they’ve hired you as part of onboarding. If someone asks for these kinds of things early in the interview process, it’s time to ghost them.
• If it’s too good to be true, it probably is: This sounds harsh, but scammers ultimately look for job seekers who are eager to prove themselves. Don’t fall for promises of high pay for little effort, or offers that guarantee a “sure thing.” Always remember to trust your instincts, even if the job search can be difficult. 

As you can see, there are many facets to employment scams. They can come at you from different avenues, and how they will try to trick you is as diverse as the job market itself. When perusing the listings and communicating with employers, remember the basics:

• Don’t enter personal information haphazardly.
• Never download files from suspicious senders.
• Be cautious of application steps that seem unfamiliar.
  

Stay SAFE while on the job hunt. For more information on how to fight back against thieves, visit our Scam and Fraud Education page.