Job seekers beware

Published on April 27, 2020 | Webster Bank

Today’s job market is fraught with scammers preying on the most vulnerable potential victims — the increasing ranks of the unemployed. “Work at home” scams are varied and can be difficult to detect.

If a job sounds too good to be true, it probably is. The Federal Trade Commission has some great information to help educate and protect yourself against scammers, including Spotting Job Scams and Work-at-Home Businesses.

Here are some red flags you should look for:

Professional looking websites

• Be wary of a hiring company’s website. These are professional con artists and masters of disguise! Often, these sites have professional photos, testimonials, audio and video.
• Google doesn’t control the content of websites and has information here on what to look for and how to report suspicious websites.

Get rich quick – no experience needed

• Job listings that state “make money fast”, “work in your pajamas” and “no experience necessary”.

Bad grammar

• Email communication with potential employer may contain poor grammar, spelling errors and awkward sentence structure. This is often indicative of scams originating out of foreign countries.

Private email address

• Scam artist may use a private email address ie;@gmail.com

No interview

• Employment offer is made without any personal interview and primarily conducted via email.

Sending money

• You are asked to deposit checks/money orders or receive electronic payments into your personal bank account and then forward a large portion of the funds back to the “employer.”
• Most scams involve the transfer of funds.

When searching out potential employment, keep these red flags in mind so you’re not a victim of a scam and if you should fall victim, report it immediately so that any damage you’ve suffered can be corrected and the scammers be stopped.