There are many different types of job scams, but they are usually designed to do one thing: to gain access to your personal information. With the right details, it’s possible to scam you out of money or steal your identity. Here’s some expert advice on how to spot the red flags.
Network with care
You might be flattered if you get a surprise contact request from a headhunter on a professional networking site, such as LinkedIn or Xing. In fact, you should be sceptical and check them out. Once someone is in your network, they can use your details to start a phishing attack, warns Allison Wikoff, a senior researcher at Secureworks. “They can really tailor the phishing email to the person’s profile, based on what they do for a living, what type of job they have, all of which makes it so much easier to trick them into clicking a link,” she told USA TODAY.
Don’t click, check
Before doing anything else, do a detailed internet search on the sender and organization, writes Alison Doyle, a job-search expert at The Balance Careers. Links or documents in unsolicited emails or messages, for instance, could take you to a fake site that installs malware on your computer or phone. “Type in the word ‘scam’ after the email address to see if someone else has reported the company.”
Be critical
“Trust your instincts,” says Doyle. If someone unexpectedly contacts you about the possibility of a job, your first thought might be that it’s a scam — and you’d probably be right. If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.
Stay cool
Because of the difficult situation that job seekers may be in, job scammers know they are more likely to fall for a fake offer. That’s why they try to create a sense of urgency in their victims. The job offer comes quickly, for instance, but with a request for bank details. The key to stopping these scams is to keep a level head and ask questions, says Steve Ragan, a security expert at Akamai. “Legitimate recruiters will have no problem proving themselves to you in a way that leaves no room for suspicion,” Ragan wrote in Fast Company. A fake job offer will soon disappear.