BBB Says Beware Of Job Scams

  • Published
  • By John North, Better Business Bureau, President/CEO

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WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- Looking for a new job can be exciting or stressful. It can be exciting if you find something that aligns with your dream job; it can be stressful if you’re scammed. While employment scams have been around for a while, occurrences have increased rapidly in recent years.

Employment scam losses reported to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) were up 27% between 2018 and 2020. The most common schemes are identity theft and fake checks. The most commonly victimized people are ages 25-34, with women filing 67% of complaints about this fraud.

Better Business Bureau offers these tips to help avoid job scams:

  • Research the offer by going directly to the company’s website for contact information to verify the job posting.
  • Don’t click on suspicious links in a text message or email. Also, don’t answer a phone call from an unknown number.
  • Know that legitimate firms usually don’t use public email accounts like Gmail and Hotmail.
  • Be cautious about providing too much personal information, such as birthdate and financial information, on your resume.
  • Check out the company on social media. Facebook, Twitter and Instagram can be a great way to find additional perspectives on a company.
  • Don’t be afraid to ask questions. If the company is evasive, consider abandoning the opportunity.
  • Don’t fall for a fake check scam. BBB is not aware of any legitimate job offers that send checks to applicants and ask them to send money to a third party.

It’s important to look out for red flags when you’re job hunting, too:

  • Be wary of job descriptions that are vague and have bad grammar.
  • Examine the email address of a job offering to make sure it follows the protocols of a legitimate company.
  • If you’re paying for the promise of a job, it’s likely a scam.
  • Any job with a generic title, such as caregiver, administrative assistant or customer service representative are commonly scams.
  • If a company is rushing you to apply fast and make a decision quickly, think twice.

If you believe you’re a victim of an employment scam, report it to BBB Scam Tracker at BBB.org/ScamTracker. Put the BBB to work for you by visiting BBB.org or calling (937) 222-5825 or (800) 776-5301. BBB can provide a list of BBB-accredited businesses and business profiles on ones you may be considering.