Five Job Scam Red Flags

collegecareerlife — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 09:00:33 +0000

If you’ve visited job boards lately, you have probably seen work-at-home jobs advertised. While it is possible to make money working at home, many of these ads are scams that provide profit for only a few people while everyone else loses money. What are some signs of a job scam?

No information about the company.

Most companies now have web-sites with an About Us page that explains what the company does and where its office(s) are located. If the company is small and doesn’t have a web-site, the posting should have a company name listed that you can look up at the Better Business Bureau’s website .

No specific responsibilities listed.

If you can’t determine what you’ll be doing to contribute to a company, then don’t apply. A posting with no specific duties means that the person posting is afraid of explaining the details for fear that no one will respond.

Asking for bank account information or credit report.

There are lots of money transfer scams that ask for your account information or want you to wire money. Never give out financial information (bank account, PayPal, etc.) when applying for a job and never wire money. A new scam I’ve noticed is scammers asking you to obtain a credit report. DO NOT click on any links in an email. If you do want to visit a sight, enter the address into the address bar yourself.

Spelling errors/typos.

Legitimate ads will be well-written because they are posted by businesses wanting to attract qualified applicants, not desperate people applying randomly.

You have to pay for training materials.

What are you buying? Probably information about how to scam other people. Even if you don’t mind participating in these schemes, you probably won’t make a lot of money because most people won’t fall for it.

The best way to avoid scams is to deal with companies or recruiters that you know. Don’t give out information that allows access to your money or accounts, and don’t pay for mysterious training materials. Legitimate jobs will require considerable effort on your part, so don’t expect to get a well-paying job that requires very little work. Finally, don’t ignore your instincts. If something seems “off”, it’s probably a scam.

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Post tags: employment, job nab, job search, scam, warning

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Five Job Scam Red Flags

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