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Employment has been badly impacted by inflation and the state of the labor market today. As a result, many people are scrambling to find employment. But there have been a lot of allegations regarding employment fraud.
The country is absolutely witnessing job fraud, according to Rhonda Perkins, attorney and chief of staff at the Federal Trade Commission. Last year, their office received twice as many reports of job scams as it did the year before. Meanwhile, there have been over 16,000 reports of job scams through the first three months of 2022.
The prevalence of victims has increased due to the current robust labor market, despite the fact that these frauds have always existed. Scammers’ techniques can differ. But there are other indicators if a job is legitimate or not.
Here are a few examples:
The employment offer is attractive, but it only comes with scant details regarding the position
Employers must ensure that their job postings pique the interest of potential employees. However, you should be wary of postings that let you earn large sums of money in quick and easy ways.
“If a job ad is using too-good-to-be-true terms like: ‘quick money,’ or ‘unlimited earnings potential,’ or ‘laptop for free’ and has very few skill requirements … and a lot of caps and images to distract you, it just doesn’t come across professionally,” said Sara Sutton, the CEO and founder of FlexJobs.
It is suggested to visit the website of the mentioned company for confirmation.
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When you request further details, they hardly ever respond or don’t respond at all
Recruiters frequently call prospective candidates to schedule interviews. However, when on the call, you need to be cautious and watchful.
“Pay attention to the questions they are asking you,” said Sutton. “If the recruiter is offering you a job very quickly without verifying your work experience or asking for references and moving very, very quickly — those are also red flags.”
Additionally, if the job description in the job offer is vague, it is a good idea to inquire further about the nature of the position. Inquire about the qualifications, standards, and experience needed to land the job.
Sinem Buber, a lead economist at ZipRecruiter, said, “They will run from you when you start asking more questions.”
“If they start giving you inconsistent answers or not answering your questions properly, you know that’s not a real job,” the lead economist added.
A recruiter requests personal information from you
The fact that recruiters want your information should not be overlooked. However, it should just include information about your name, address, contacts, and employment history. Any additional questions should set off alarms.
Buber added, “If they are asking you to provide personal information upfront during the interview stages, like your Social Security number for a background check … no legitimate company asks for a background check or Social Security number during the interview stage. That happens after you are hired.”
“Look up the name of the company, the person who claims to be hiring you, plus the word ‘scam,’ ‘review,’ or ‘complaint’… and don’t trust reviews on the company’s website. Those could be fake,” said FTC Chief of Staff Perkins.
The company’s history should be thoroughly investigated, Perkins continued.
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The business requests payment from you
“Don’t pay for the promise of a job, don’t make an upfront payment to get a job — only scammers will ask you to do that,” explained Perkins.
When a potential employer wants to hire you, just the remuneration is discussed when it comes to money. If recruiters demand payment for services or training, exercise care.
The greatest approach to finding a job is to do your homework and pay close attention to the little things. It should save you time and worry when you can distinguish between the actual employers and the fake ones.
Source: CNN
Opinions expressed by US Insider contributors are their own.
