Posts Tagged “scam”

As a job seeker, how can you protect yourself from job scams that are posted right alongside legitimate jobs? There are still job scams being posted every single day on sites like Monster, CareerBuilder and especially Craigslist. Why are these people preying on job seekers through job ads? Because they want your personal information. They want your name, your address, your phone number, your email address and your place of employment (or last employment). They compile the information from the resumes they receive from the fake job ads. It’s all part of an elaborate scheme to collect and sell personal information for the purposes of identity theft.

Don’t become a victim! Protect yourself by recognizing the 2 main indicators of a scam job:

1. The job title is basic. Administrative Assistant, Intern, Customer Service, etc. By using very generic job titles they are casting a wide net hoping to catch as many job seekers as possible.

2. The description is basic or seems too good to be true. Everything about their job ads screams “easy”. Again, they are casting the widest net possible.

Here is an actual scam job posting we encountered recently: “This company is seeking an experienced administrative assistant for an immediate opening. You must have direct experience with invoicing, accounts receivable, payroll and general clerical responsibilities. You must be proficient with computer applications including Excel, Word, Outlook and Quickbooks, or similar accounting platform. You must have an outgoing personality, strong attention to details, excellent organization skills, reliable accuracy and be capable of working with minimal direction. We provide a competitive hourly wage that is commensurate with experience. This position is for full time employment. Compensation includes wages, healthcare benefits package, 401K, etc.  Applicants must be over 18 yrs old and able to pass both background check and drug screening. You must be free and clear from any existing non-compete agreements.”

It sounds like a legitimate job, right? That’s part of the trick. They want you to have a hard time recognizing it’s a scam. The ad above was for “Stanley Furniture” in Springfield, VA. According to an article in the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Stanley furniture cut 530 jobs in the last year.  That’s a red flag.

The bottom line? Don’t send your resume anywhere without researching the company first. If you can’t identify the name of the company from the job ad, and you value your personal information, we’d advise against sending your resume. This is obviously a personal choice to make/chance to take but the surest way to protect your information is to know who you’re sending it to.

There’s a flurry of new jobs being posted on sites all around the globe by a fictitious company named Kings Security, Inc. This is not to be confused with Kings Security in the UK, which appears to be a legitimate business. Perhaps that is the reasoning behind this scammer’s company name choice…Hmmm….

We recently encountered this particular scam when a new employer registered to JobShouts under this name. The job ad, by all appearances seemed to be legitimate. However, after it received more than 13 applications in a very short period of time I decided to take a closer look at it. The job ad was VERY well written – it probably would have gotten the attention of a lot of job seekers:

“Front Desk Officer at Kings Security Inc.

We have several openings available for Front Desk Officer/Data Entry Clerk/Receptionist. We offer performance incentives/bonuses, excellent salary and benefits, flexible schedule in a very fast-paced, high-energy atmosphere.

Job starts as soon as possible.”

You can see why this would get a lot of interest, right? It says nothing about what qualifications someone must have, only that it offers performance incentives, bonuses, excellent salary/benefits, flexible schedule and that it starts as soon as possible. Who wouldn’t apply to that? If I were out of work, I sure would.

Once I googled it, I understood why.

Turns out it’s a Money Mule scam.

They might contact you and say that the job has already been filled, but they have another opportunity as a Mystery Shopper. This scam involves receiving a money order which you are supposed to deposit then recycle to the next victim.  Alternatively, you might receive an email that appears to be from them, with an invitation to view a text file that could possibly contain malicious content.

WARNING TO JOB SEEKERS: No matter how desperate you might be for a job, listen to your instincts!! If a job you are applying to seems too good to be true, it probably is. Be VERY aware that there are people preying on job seekers. Legitimate jobs usually list some qualifications that you must have. Scam jobs will appear very attractive in an effort to get you to give up your personal information (such as your name/phone/address/email that appears on a typical resume).

Of course, I removed the job posting and “Kings Security” continued to attempt to post. They have failed on our site, but unfortunately these ads continue to be posted on may job sites around the world. Please help to spread the word and protect job seekers everywhere – make them aware of this job scam!!