Scammers exploiting hopeful job seekers searching for online opportunities has become a significant issue, prompting warnings from US federal agencies like the FBI and the Federal Trade Commission about job scams. This problem is also prevalent in India, where online job posting scams are common.
In response to these scams, career experts offer advice on identifying fraudulent job postings. They highlight a common tactic where scammers pose as recruiters and contact job seekers unsolicited on platforms like Indeed and LinkedIn, or even through WhatsApp, offering enticing job opportunities that the candidates never applied for.
Once communication is established, these "recruiters" may request money or personal information from the candidates, as Amanda Augustine, a career expert at TopResume, explained to CNBC Make It.
While genuine recruiters often reach out cold to potential hires, “They're straightforward with you,” career and leadership coach Phoebe Gavin told the publication.
Watch out for these three signs of a scam while job hunting:
- The job seems too perfect: If a job posting “seems too good to be true,” it probably is, says Augustine. This includes openings promising quick and substantial earnings. In such "get-rich-quick" scenarios, “run for the hills,” she adds. Augustine also advises job seekers to be cautious if a company offers a position quickly without following the standard vetting process, as she told CNBC Make It.
- Vague or nonexistent job descriptions: Some job listings may offer attractive salaries but lack detailed role descriptions. Scammers posing as recruiters might claim they can't provide details because the job posting is confidential. This is a major red flag, according to Augustine. “If you are not at a director level or above and someone is approaching you for a confidential listing, it's probably a scam, because there isn't really much reason for a company to be cagey about hiring an individual contributor or a manager-level position,” Gavin says.
- Check the company's online presence: Augustine emphasizes that job seekers should be able to find a company's presence online, such as a LinkedIn profile, website, or social media page. “Even your mom-and-pop ice cream shop has a Facebook page these days,” she notes. “If there's absolutely no digital trail about this company, or it's really, really sparse when you're running some Google searches, I would be concerned.”
