by Olha Romaniuk

Created on: June 30, 2010

When you are in a search of a job, it is easy to become susceptible to online job scams from fictitious companies or non-existing firms. Under the pretenses of offering lucrative job opportunities, often for basic job skills with a high payout, the so-called recruiters solicit personal information for money laundering or other illegal purposes. Recognizing job scams is, thus, a way to not fall victim to yet another criminal out there and be able to recognize a quality legitimate position when such an occasion arises.

Be Inquisitive

There are several warning signs to watch out for when first reading a job description on a web site like careerbuilder.com or monster.com, as a common misconception about these sites is that they always feature legitimate job opportunities. Sometimes, companies and firms offering jobs are as fake as their offers, so the very first, and often easiest, step is to Google the name of the company and see what information is out there. Often, other people come forward with their testimonies and identify fictitious companies to forewarn about false job offers.

Be Stingy

The first tale-telling sign of a job scam is a posting that asks for a monetary contribution in order to complete an application process. You should not have to pay anyone any amount of money in order to be considered for a job. Your resume should be informative enough to show a prospective employer the reasons why you should be hired.

Be Specific

Another sign is a vague job description. If all you need to be to qualify for a job is eighteen and willing to "go an extra mile", you should question why the job description is so open-ended. If ninety percent of potential applicants can qualify for a job, then there is no reason why it should pay well or be real, for that matter.

Be Informed

Speaking of salary promises, be realistic about the amount of compensation you expect to receive for your skills. If an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Do you expect to get paid $2,300 for two hours of processing payments? If so, then you should do more research and find out what this type of position is really worth.

Be Reserved

If a job recruiter asks you for personal information, such as your social security number or your bank account, be aware that this information can be used by either the recruiter or a third party to your disadvantage. Remember that you should never give out your bank account information to anyone for any reason, especially when filling out a job application. There is not a single reason why an employer should require your personal information.

Be Attentive

When you are contacted by a recruiter via email, pay special attention to the email address the person contacting you is using. If the company or a recruiter is using a generic email address, such as Gmail, Yahoo or Hotmail, you might want to question whether the company actually exists. It is very easy to create an email address, contact a job seeker and then disappear without a trace. A legitimate email address that can be traced to a specific company provides a tangible sense of additional security.

It is important to not give into murky job offers, even when the job market is full of doom and gloom. Giving into too-good-to-be-true offers from no-name companies is a quick way to end up a victim of fraud or an unwilling accomplice to money laundering practices. To avoid the undesirable outcomes, know your worth and know your expectations from a job and, always, be smart.

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