Online Job Scams
How to Identify And Avoid Them

Online job scams are growing by leaps and bounds.

Persons who are either unemployed, or who face uncertainty in retaining their existing job, are using the Internet more in seeking jobs.

We will:

1. Identify three of the most common online scams;
2. Suggest how to avoid these scams; and
3. Provide tips for secure online job seeking.

Please do not believe you are "safe" from online job scams in using a brand name, well-known job search board like Monster.com.

While Monster and other legitimate job sites take measures to prevent fraud on their site, many fraudulent job recruitment ads slip through. Job spammers are so 'professional' and good at what they do, sometimes you can get sucked-in without knowing it.

Let's look at some real winners.

1. Most Common Online Job Scams


JOB SCAM ONE

First, you click on a respectable employment ad. The job opportunity looks good. You send your resume.

This is the response you receive:

Dear Mr. Berger:

Your project management experience is exactly what we're looking for in an employee. After reading your resume, and discussing it with the appropriate vice president, we believe you are a very good match for our vacancy. Congratulations!

We seek to fill this position as rapidly as possible.

The Position: Project Manager

Salary: $65,000--$84,000

If this is of interest to you, please click on the hyperlink to be directed to the Web page, which lists the job description.

Please fill out the virtual application and submit to get the employment process rolling.

We thank you in advance for considering this opportunity.

Sincerely,

James P. Smith

Director, HR and Training

WOW!

Who wouldn't want to receive this "life saving e-mail?"

So, you complete the application giving personal information...including your financial information and Social Security number (in order for us to do a background check).

It's all down hill from here.

Cash advances are made on your credit cards and your checking account and savings account are emptied. Plus, have you ever heard of "identity theft?"

Online job scams can suck anyone in. So, be careful.

The above happens...a lot!

Always, always check out the online employer first before applying for any potential employment. More about this later.

JOB SCAM TWO

This is a biggie for those who want to work-at-home.

Here's the spammers ad: "It takes little skill and the commission received for each task is high: 10 to 25 percent."

Here's how it works.

You are 'hired' as an independent contractor to be a mystery shopper. Sounds great! Your job is to test a company(s) for their financial integrity.

As a mystery shopper, you never meet anyone and the subject company does not know anything about you.

The job?

Supposedly, the company will send you a check for, say, $10,000 for you to deposit into your personal checking account. This check is an advance on your earnings.

You are to keep $1,000 (10% commission) and wire-transfer $9,000 the same day back to the company (s) account.

The spammer may even send you a small legitimate check the first time or two to reel you in.

The next check sent to you may be for $50,000, but this one is a fraudulent.

You complete this $50,000 transaction.

Two days later your bank notifies you that the checked bounced and you need to repay $45,000. (Remember you kept $5,000 as 10% commission.)

See, you got greedy, the commission was too good to be true, and now you're out big bucks.

Online job scams are alive and well!

JOB SCAM THREE

This job sounds like a good deal. The employment ad seeks a person working part time from home as merchandise shipping expediter or something similar.

In this job products are sent to your home.

You are to repackage each of these items, then mail or ship to the assigned address, usually overseas.

In exchange, you receive a "packaging fee" of $10 to $20 and reimbursement of the postage or shipping costs.

Finally a legit job! Nope.

First, the products are usually stolen. Second, in some cases, the "to be shipped by you' products contain dollars and/or drugs.

Now you can be arrested for "aiding and abetting a criminal, money laundering, trafficking or worse."

This part time scam earns you maybe $200 or more per week verses 15 to 25 years in prison "when" you’re caught. Not bad, eh?

Just because you didn't know is no excuse. The law says you should do "due diligence" research prior to agreeing to participate.

2. Avoiding These Online Job Scams

If you seem lured by making a great income with little effort, then you can't avoid online job scams! Period. This is the number one test for scam safety.

There are, however, simple measures to be taken to keep you out of danger. The best ones are:

• If it sounds too good to be true or too easy to achieve for the compensation to be received...then you can bet it's a scam!
• Employment ads using job descriptions like "import--export," "reshipping," "money transfer," "expediter," "wire funds," or "package forwarding" are in your face clues to online job scams.
• Don't respond to "any" e-mail solicitations.
• Never give your bank account, PayPal account or credit card numbers to a perspective employer.
• Never agree to use any of your personal financial accounts, including credit cards, for any purpose involving an employer.
• Never transfer, wire or forward money from your account to an employer.
• Realize that “anyone” can place an ad online or post a "lure" in a social network medium.
• Never pay anyone to hire you. This sounds like a given, but you would be surprised...
• Check out the prospective employer. Type their name in Google, call the Better Business Bureau, and check with domaintools.com (formally who is).
• Don't agree to "direct deposit" into your checking account, even if the company requires it.

Nothing is more important to keep you safe, while looking for Internet jobs that you can do from home, then to not be 'greedy' expecting a good income for little effort!

It's really that simple!

3. Tips for Secure Online Job Searching

Employers, who are legitimate, use the Internet all the time to place employment ads.

They never hire anyone without one, but usually more than one, interview.

This may be in person or on the telephone, if there is a geographic divide separating them from you.

And the hiring process always takes more time than you want it to take!

Prospective legitimate employers never ask you for financial information.

They know, that after you give them permission to conduct a background check, that check will reveal your credit score and other financial information.

Even when you apply for a job online, the legitimate employer will give you an opportunity to "interview them."

It is here that you ask pertinent questions. You'll know if their answers seem to make sense or not.

Any legitimate employment ad will always have their e-mail address. Most also include their physical address and a phone number or, at least, a city and state of location. You can investigate them using this information.

If anything seems fishy or your gut gives you this funny feeling, stop.

Lastly, online job scams are best avoided by not being greedy and using common sense. What else is there to say?


However, prior to continuing:


YOU'RE INVITED:

Would you like help to determine if a potential in home job opportunity is legit or one of the online job scams?

Or, maybe you have had an experience with a job scam or an ad that you want to warn others about.

If so, please take the time to share now. Others around the world want to help you and want your experiences.

We all benefit by Paying It Forward.


Thanks for sharing.


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Reporting Internet Scams: Who is on MY side?

How to build a website, SEO and ready-made website marketing scams

Online Business Scams: the ones that work most often

Online Scams

U. S. Department of Justice Fraud Division


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