Online Jobs Scams
Fraudsters/scammers often use the internet to prey on innocent people who seek employment by tricking job-seekers into a crime called an online job scam. The scam involves the promise of making lots of money for little work--one simply makes a great deal of money for simply being online. An unsolicited email is sent to your email inbox, telling you that you've been hired but before you begin earning that huge amount of pay, you must give your new online employer personnel information: complete name, birth date, bank/credit data, Social Security number, and the like. You should not respond; you should provide no biographical and financial information to such requests. This unsolicited email may appear to be from known, legitimate companies yet you should be very wary--only respond to requests for information from jobs to which you know you have actually applied.
Many online job scams advertise work-at-home employment that promise lucrative pay. These fraudulent jobs will often ask you, before you've cashed your first check, to pay for a background check or a drug test as condition of your employment--Beware! No legitimate employer does this. Do not respond to unsolicited work-at home job offers as most of these "jobs" trick you into supplying your credit card/banking before you begin "working," or you are required to purchase training and other materials before you begin employment. Employees (of legitimate employers) who work at home generally go through a hiring process and an in-person interview, they work for a salary, they have regular pay periods, and these employees do not pay for out-of-pocket expenses such as background checks, credit reports, drug tests, etc.
Avoiding Online Job Scams
Many online job scams advertise work-at-home employment that promise lucrative pay. These fraudulent jobs will often ask you, before you've cashed your first check, to pay for a background check or a drug test as condition of your employment--Beware! No legitimate employer does this. Do not respond to unsolicited work-at home job offers as most of these "jobs" trick you into supplying your credit card/banking before you begin "working," or you are required to purchase training and other materials before you begin employment. Employees (of legitimate employers) who work at home generally go through a hiring process and an in-person interview, they work for a salary, they have regular pay periods, and these employees do not pay for out-of-pocket expenses such as background checks, credit reports, drug tests, etc.
Avoiding Online Job Scams
- It is always best to visit (type address into a browser) a business's website rather than clicking on links
- Verify (with a phone call or a visit to an employer's website) a job opening actually exists before making an application
- Verify that a business is actually a business--check your state's Department of Revenue website
- Pay attention to misspelled words and grammatical errors in job ads--this often signals a scam
- Jobs which promise high pay for few hours worked by employees with minimal experience are often scams
- Avoid application to jobs which pressure you into making an application--this often signals a scam
- Never apply to jobs which require that you transfer monies for another--this is money laundering, a serious crime
- Use caution when submitting/posting your resume online
- Use caution with employment agencies--do your research to check their legitimacy
- Never pay for an upfront fee for job applications
- Verify first you've been hired by a legitimate employer before providing personal and financial information online
- Do not provide personal information to someone you don't know and trust
- Do not forward, transfer, or wire any money to anyone claiming to be an "employer"
- Do not scan your ID and electronically transmit this to a potential employer
- Upon being hired, verify your job duties, how and when you'll be paid, what your job benefits may be, etc.
- Always carefully read documents before signing them; keep several copies of documents you've signed/e-signed