Introduction
The road to securing employment to earn an honest living is not always as smooth as expected. More often than not, job seekers must deal with multiple applications to both reputable and lesser-known companies. This arduous task exposes them to job scams. This article aims to help job seekers navigate the perilous journey of landing a dream job while avoiding becoming a victim of a job scam in this digital age.
2023 Data on Fraud
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), in its latest report on consumer challenges in the U.S. marketplace – the Consumer Sentinel Network (Sentinel), February 2024 – presents intriguing data. In 2023, over $10 billion was reported lost due to various forms of fraud. Of this amount, $178 million was lost to imposter scams, while $26.4 million was lost to fraud involving business and job opportunities. Scammers often target your money or personal information, which can be quite valuable in this age of data. Therefore, taking diligent steps to avoid parting with either your money or personal information to a scammer is paramount.
Looking Before You Leap
In the words of Georgina Wood CJ, 12th Chief Justice of the Republic of Ghana in Continental Plastics Engineering Co Ltd. v. IMC Industries-Technik GMBH [2009] SCGLR 308:
“In the normal run of things, it is people who are over-excited about an activity they are about to engage in or a relationship they are about to enter into, who do not soberly reflect on what they are about to get involved in; they are the people who do not look before they leap”.
The joy and excitement of attractive job posts that meet your expectations, the ease of an application process – with just a click of a button to apply for a job, and enticing job offers can cause a lot of job seekers not to soberly reflect and look before they leap. You may be pursuing a fake job or career opportunity meant to steal your personal information or get you to part with your money.
Common Job Scams
Job scams can take several forms, including high-paying data entry jobs, work-from-home jobs, virtual personal assistant jobs, mystery shopper jobs, job placement services, government jobs, and resale gigs. Deciphering between a genuine company and its representative and a job scammer can sometimes be daunting. However, with sober reflection and basic due diligence, you can avoid becoming a victim of a job scam.
Avoiding Government Job Scams
To start, perhaps the easiest job scam to avoid is government positions. When seeking a government job, it's best to apply through the official website of the institution you are interested in. The U.S. federal government has an official site with job openings within the federal sector. For state and local government jobs, you can visit the official website of each state and local government to find any available positions. The U.S. Department of Labor also has a sponsored job listing website that lists both government and private entity job openings.
With all websites, it is always important to check the URL (Uniform Resource Locator) or web address for any suspicious names and characters. Secured and authenticated websites begin with “https://” not “http://” without an “s.” It is good to trust your instinct when looking at suspicious web addresses. Some scammers have been known to use look-alike characters to spoof reputable websites, something that has been called homograph attacks or punycode phishing.
If you are contacted by a person claiming to be a representative of a government agency, ensure that they are using official channels to communicate with you. It is uncommon for recruiters to contact you through social media or messaging apps like WhatsApp, Signal, or WeChat. If it is via email, research to ensure that the email address is an official government email address.
Avoiding Private Entity and Individual Job Scams
Setting up a private entity, whether a sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, or limited liability company, requires registration with the Secretary of State in each state and the federal government, depending on the type of entity. Public companies, that is, companies whose shares are publicly traded on the stock market, must be registered with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). This information provides a solid basis to research any company that has listed a job vacancy. There is a database with links to the Secretary of State websites in each state and relevant corporate information searches. The SEC also maintains its database for searching for information on publicly traded companies. These resources will help you establish whether the entity you are applying to is legitimate.
Another point to consider is whether the person reaching out to you about the job is really associated with the entity they claim to be representing and legitimate. You can always reach out directly to the entity to confirm once you establish that it is a legitimate entity. Communications outside official channels are always a red flag. If the person reaching out to you is expected to be a member of a regulated profession, like a nurse, accountant, attorney, etc. you can do further checks on their registration with the state or their professional bodies. In Illinois, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) provides a searchable online database of professionals and institutions they regulate. You can easily determine if a person is licensed with a simple search. These due diligence checks can help you avoid becoming a victim of a job scam.
Conclusion
Always remember to reflect soberly and look before you leap. Keep the following tips in mind as you search for and apply to jobs:
- Don’t easily part with your personal information or money while searching for your dream job to avoid becoming a victim of a job scam.
- Apply for government jobs on the official website of the institution you are interested in.
- Research private entities and their representatives to ensure that they are legitimate.
- Always communicate with recruiters through official channels.
- Do not pay money in advance for information about a job, even if there is a money-back guarantee.
- Check for suspicious names and characters in web addresses.
If you fall victim to a job scam, report identity theft immediately to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and get a recovery plan. If you transferred or paid money to a scammer, contact the company you used to do the transfer to reverse the transaction. You can also contact your local police for assistance.
Resources
Here are additional resources to help keep you safe and to report your case in the unfortunate event you fall victim to a job scam:
- Federal Trade Commission. Job Scams Explained. Consumer.gov. Retrieved February 17, 2025, from https://consumer.gov/scams-identity-theft/job-scams-explained
- Federal Trade Commission. (n.d.). Job Scams. Consumer.ftc.gov. Retrieved February 17, 2025, from https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/job-scams#examples
- Kate Palmquist, PHR. (January 28, 2025). 17 Common Job Scams and How to Protect Yourself. Indeed Career Guide. Retrieved February 17, 2025, from https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/job-scams
- Federal Bureau of Investigation. (n.d.). Common Frauds and Scams. FBI.gov. Retrieved February 17, 2025, from https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/scams-and-safety/common-frauds-and-scams
- U.S. General Services Administration. (n.d.). Learn where to report a scam. USA.gov. Retrieved February 17, 2025, from https://www.usa.gov/where-report-scams
- Federal Trade Commission. (n.d.). If You Were Scammed. Consumer.gov. Retrieved February 17, 2025, from https://consumer.gov/scams-identity-theft/if-you-were-scammed
- Federal Trade Commission. (n.d.). Report to help fight fraud! ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Retrieved February 17, 2025, from https://reportfraud.ftc.gov
Disclaimer: This article does not constitute legal advice. Please seek legal counsel for any decisions related to your individual situation. Student legal services may be able to assist you or answer questions specific to your individual situation:
