by Mary Salvino
There are no desperate situations; there are only
desperate people and scammers know it! Scammers prey upon the fact that people have a hunger to connect with other people and job seekers are
desperate and want to believe that they are not being lied to or misled.
Unfortunately, those who
are most the most vulnerable are those who have identified themselves as
‘long-term’ unemployed or are simply desperate to find a new job.
So, how can you protect yourself from
an Internet job scam? Here are a few tips:
1. Treat Google and all other search
engines as your best friend – If you can’t find the name of the company, a
website, or, the name of the person who contacted you, it’s a SCAM!
2. If the job posting does not contain
a detailed job description, it’s a SCAM!
3. If the job posting contains errors
in spelling or grammar, it’s a SCAM!
4. If you are offered a job based
solely upon your résumé, it’s a SCAM!
5. If you are asked to participate in
an interview via an Internet messenger service, it’s a SCAM!
6. Know that references work both
ways. Ask for references if you are not sure if the company is
legitimate. Ask for a list of other employees or contractors and contact
those people on the list. If the company is not willing to provide you
with references (names, e-mail addresses and phone numbers), it’s a SCAM!
7. If you are asked to sign a contract/job offer letter that is not encrypted and has been sent to you
over the Internet, it’s a SCAM!
8. If the above-mentioned contract/job
offer letter does not conform with typical employment standards legislation,
i.e. guidelines regarding the payment of wages, vacation pay rules, guidelines
for hours of work, breaks and payment of overtime, etc., it’s a SCAM!
9. If you are not asked to fill out any
of the typical form for employment, i.e. tax forms, pension forms, employment
insurance forms, etc., it’s a SCAM!
10. If you are asked to send money via
bank draft, money order, Western Union, or courier, it’s a SCAM!!!
How to Report a Scam:
File a Report with the Internet
Crime Complaint Centre
The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) is a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C), and the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). The Internet Crime Complaint Center accepts online Internet crime complaints. In order to file a report, you will need to provide the following information:
The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) is a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C), and the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). The Internet Crime Complaint Center accepts online Internet crime complaints. In order to file a report, you will need to provide the following information:
- Your name, mailing address, and telephone number.
- The name, address, telephone number, and web address, if available, of the individual or organization you believe has or is attempting to defrauded you.
- Specific details on how, why, and when you believe you have been or may become the victim of fraud.
File a Report With the Federal
Trade Commission (FTC)
In the United States, The Federal Trade Commission, the nation's consumer protection agency, collects complaints about companies, business practices, and identity theft.
In the United States, The Federal Trade Commission, the nation's consumer protection agency, collects complaints about companies, business practices, and identity theft.
- Toll free hotline: 877-FTC-HELP (877-382-4357)
File a Report with the Canadian
Anti-Fraud Centre
- Toll free hotline: 1-888-495-8501
- N.B. You can file even if you have not lost any money and/or provided any financial information
File a Report with the Royal
Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)
Report the Company to the Better
Business Bureau (BBB)
Enter the company name or the web site into the Better Business Bureau search box to find out whether there have been complaints and whether the company has an unsatisfactory record with the Bureau. You can also file your own complaint online.
Enter the company name or the web site into the Better Business Bureau search box to find out whether there have been complaints and whether the company has an unsatisfactory record with the Bureau. You can also file your own complaint online.
Report a Fraudulent Website to
Google
If you believe you've encountered a website that is designed to look like a legitimate website in an attempt to steal users' personal information, report it to Google.
If you believe you've encountered a website that is designed to look like a legitimate website in an attempt to steal users' personal information, report it to Google.
If you suspect that a posting on Craigslist may be
part of a scam, send the details to (http://sfbay.craigslist.org/feedback)
Have you ever been a victim of job search fraud or other Internet scam? Do you have any other tips that should be
added to the list above?
Copyright © 2012, Career Matters. All Rights Reserved. Permission to Reprint: This article may be reprinted, provided it appears in its entirety with the following attribution: Copyright © 2012, Career Matters. Reprinted by permission of the author, Mary Salvino. “Career Matters” is a blog authored by Mary Salvino, Senior Consultant for SMART Career Planning.com that is dedicated to those who are seeking advice on managing their career and future job opportunities. We welcome readers to share their experiences, post their comments or ask questions about career related matters. This blog is also dedicated to those who stand a little taller each time they picked themselves up after failing and those who gained the wisdom and humility from those experiences to help others do the same. For any questions or comments that are better addressed privately, please feel free to e-mail Mary directly at Mary.Salvino@shaw.ca
Posts
Number two and three are debatable. Many job posts do not contain a detailed job description or job requirement and many more contain spelling and grammatical errors.
ReplyDeleteI can understand your view that by calling bullet points 2 and 3 ‘scams’ may very well be debatable and perhaps even a bit harsh, however, job advertisements that contain spelling errors speak volumes about the company and the lack of a detailed job description usually indicates a lack of focus on the part of the company placing the ad. Not listing a complete job description is akin to not publishing the salary.
ReplyDeleteBoth potential employers and prospective employees should know the salary range for the job. While I acknowledge that employers are always looking for a 'deal' when hiring, they also need to be cognizant of the fact that those 'deals' they hired are not likely to stay with the company any longer than necessary and that the rate of employee turnover also affects the company's bottom line.
Seldom does the company list the salary until an actual offer is made. Most of the time I am asked what salary I am looking for. The job description rarely has the salary which usually says D.O.E. (depends on experience) or something like that. And All of these were legit companies. True there are a lot of scams out there but many times if someo9f these on the list are so, it is usually because of a HR person being lazy or worse.
ReplyDeleteWhile it may be true that many companies choose not list the actual salary, it is efficacious to list a salary range. The employer knows exactly what the budget is for the position and the potential employee should be given the courtesy to decide if the opportunity is worth pursuing. It should also be noted that in today’s market, potential employees often consider more than just salary when it comes to applying for a position.
ReplyDeleteSome of the perks that are ‘desirable’, from a potential employee’s perspective, that may influence their decision to apply for an opportunity, or not, include amount of travel as part of the job itself, the length of time it takes to commute to and from the job site, whether or not public transit is available, the company’s policy on a flexible or compressed workweek, if there is the possibility of job sharing, etc.