GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – College graduation is about a month away and many soon-to-be graduates are looking for a job, which makes them vulnerable to scammers who are lurking on job sites.
The Better Business Bureau says there has been an uptick on reports of job scams.
Susan Bach says some jobs offer more concerns than others.
“Those are work from home jobs or secret shopper positions or any job that has a generic title like Administrative Assistant or Customer Service Rep.”
Bach says some jobs offer more concerns than others.
“Positions that don’t require any sort of training or licensing always appeal to a wide range of applicants so those are the job titles that scammers are going to target.”
She says it is also good to stay away from jobs that don’t require an interview, or find you when you least expect it.
“Unsolicited offers on email or social media posts are always red flags. The best rule of thumb however Bach says, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
BBB tips to avoid job scams:
- Some positions are more likely to be scams. Always be wary of work-from-home or secret shopper positions, or any job with a generic title such as a caregiver, administrative assistant, or customer service rep. Positions that don’t require special training or licensing appeal to a wide range of applicants.
- Watch out for on-the-spot job offers. Beware of offers made without an interview. Don’t fall for an overpayment scam. No legitimate job would ever overpay an employee and ask for money to be wired elsewhere.
- Get all the details and contracts in writing. A legitimate company will provide you with a complete contract for their services at cost, what you get, who pays (you or the employer).
- If you receive unsolicited email or social media posts about a job, be wary and avoid clicking provided links. If a recruiter or agency uses a free email account instead of a professional domain email address, that is a warning sign of a potential scam.
- Watch out for companies that have business names and websites similar to those of well-known firms. They may be spoofing legitimate companies.
- Scam jobs can be found even on legitimate, well-known websites. Be sure you are dealing with a legitimate employer before you provide any personal identity information. Employers should not ask you to provide a social security number before you have been hired.
- Avoid job offers that require payment for training or supplies. Do not give out your credit card or bank information to apply for a job.
- Do not accept job offers from employers asking you to receive and re-ship packages, which may contain stolen goods.
- Never accept jobs requiring you to deposit checks (which eventually bounce), purchase items and ship them, or forward balances due, especially by non-recoverable methods such as wire transfer or gift cards.
- If a job sounds too good to be true…it is probably a scam.
