COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- More and more people looking for jobs are turning to online job boards to post résumés.
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) says sites like Craigslist, Monster.com, Careerbuilder.com and Facebook are becoming breeding grounds for scammers.
"It’s very important to know who you are dealing with. Some scammers ask candidates to set up direct deposit accounts as part of the application process, making it seem as though it’s naturally part of the process," says Katie Carrol with the BBB. "It absolutely not necessary to do this to get an interview."
Other red flags to watch out for:
* Employer emails that are grammatically incorrect and filled with spelling errors.
Most online fraud is perpetrated by scammers located outside the U.S. Their first language usually isn’t English and this is often evident in their poor writing ability.
* Emails purporting to be from job posting websites claiming there’s a problem with a job hunter’s account.
After creating a user account on sites like Monster.com, Careerbuilder.com or Craigslist.com, a job hunter might receive an email saying there’s been a problem with their account, and they need to follow a hyperlink to install new software. Phishing emails like this are designed to convince readers to click a link within the message to fix the issue, but actually the link takes them to a website that will install malware or viruses on their computer.
* An employer asks for extensive personal information such as social security or bank account numbers.
Regardless of the reason or excuse given by a potential employer, a job applicant should never give out his or her Social Security or bank account numbers over the phone or by email.
* An employer offers the opportunity to become rich without leaving home.
While there are legitimate businesses that allow employees to work from home, there are also a lot of scammers trying to take advantage of senior citizens, stay-at-home moms, students and injured or handicapped people looking to make money at home. Job hunters should use extreme caution when considering a work-at-home offer and always research the company with their BBB first at www.bbb.org.
* An employer asks for money upfront.
Aside from paying for a uniform, it is rarely advisable for an applicant to pay upfront fees or make a required purchase to get a job.
* The salary and benefits offered seem too-good-to-be-true.
The adage holds true for job offers: if the deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Phony employers might brag about exceptionally high salary potential and excellent benefits for little experience in order to lure unsuspecting job hunters into their scam.
* The job requires the employee to wire money through Western Union or MoneyGram.
Many phony jobs require the prospective employee to cash a check sent by the company through the mail and then wire a portion of the money on to another entity. Reasons given for this requirement vary from scam to scam. Whatever the reason though, the check might clear the employee’s bank account but will eventually turn out to be a fake and the employee is out the money he or she wired back to the scammers.