« Back to Blog

Avoid Scams: Fake Job Listings

Our Avoid Scams series is part of our commitment to keeping our UMe members as safe as possible online. With job scams on the rise, we recognized that it’s more important than ever to be aware of this latest scam and how to protect U and your family.

Scammers never get tired of looking for new ways to steal your money and/or your personal information. One new way they attempt to do this is by advertising jobs that don’t exist. This scam has become so prominent that the FTC has issued several alerts about it. Generally, scammers will promise a great job with high pay and benefits, but all they really want is your money.

Here are some examples of job scams:

  • Work-at-home scams: These scams promise you a great job that you can do from home, but they require you to pay a fee upfront. Once you pay the fee, you’ll never hear from the scammer again.
  • Interview scams: These scams involve a scammer contacting you about a job interview. They’ll ask you to send money for travel expenses or to purchase equipment, but they’ll never actually give you the job.
  • Reshipping job scams: This is a type of fraud where the scammer hires you to receive packages at your home, throw away the original packaging and receipts, repackage the products, and then reship them to an address they give you. The scammer is usually using your address to receive stolen goods or to launder money.
  • Reselling merchandise scams: This is a fraudulent business model that involves selling goods to customers at a price that is lower than the retail price. The scammer then uses the customer’s money to purchase the goods at a higher price from a legitimate retailer. The scammer then sells the goods at a profit, and the customer is left without the goods or their money.
  • Caregiver job scams: This scam includes nannies, caregivers, and virtual assistants. Scammers post fake job ads on job sites or send emails that look like they’re from someone in your community. They offer you a job and send you a check. They tell you to deposit the check, keep part of the money for your services, and send the rest to someone else. This is a scam. The check is fake and will bounce. The bank will want you to repay the full amount of the fake check, while the scammer keeps the real money you sent them.
  • Fake job postings: These scams are posted online or in newspapers. They look like legitimate job postings, but they’re actually scams. The scammer will ask you to send your resume and contact information, and then they’ll use that information to steal your identity or sell it to other scammers.

Some warning signs to keep an eye out for: 

  • Promises of big money with little or no work. If someone promises you that you can make a lot of money quickly and easily, it’s probably a scam.
  • Pressure to act now. Scammers often create a sense of urgency, telling you that you need to act now or you’ll miss out on a great opportunity.
  • Fees upfront. Legitimate businesses don’t require you to pay money upfront before they’ll give you information about their products or services.
  • Unrealistic claims. If someone makes claims that sound too good to be true, they probably are.
  • Unlicensed or unregistered businesses. You can check with your state’s securities regulator to see if a business is licensed or registered.

It is important to be careful when you are looking for a job online. By being aware of the signs of a fake job listing, you can protect yourself from becoming a victim of a scam. If you see a job posting that you think might be fake, you can do a few things to verify it. You can try to contact the company directly to see if the job is real. You can also check the company’s website to see if the job posting is listed there. And you can always report the job posting to the website where you found it.

How to Avoid Job Scams

There are a few things you can do to avoid job scams:

  • Be skeptical of any job that promises you a lot of money or benefits with little or no experience.
  • Do your research before applying for a job. Check the company’s website and social media pages to see if they’re legitimate.
  • Never pay money to apply for a job. Legitimate employers will never ask you to pay for a job application, training, or equipment.
  • Be wary of any job that requires you to work from home and pay for your own supplies. These are often scams.

If you think you’ve been scammed, including thinking you’ve been the victim of a business opportunity or training scam, contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at ftc.gov or 1-877-FTC-HELP. You can file a complaint with the FTC at ftc.gov/complaint.

Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

If you have any questions, please give us a call at (818) 238-2900 or email us through the button below.

     

 


Disclaimer: U matter to Me (all of us) at UMe — and that’s why we do our best to deliver helpful information on our blog. Please note the following: (1) UMe Credit Union works hard to make certain that the information we post here is as accurate as humanly possible. But as you know, information can change and evolve quickly. While we try to update the blog on a regular basis, the content of some older posts may not be correct or up-to-date. (2) Some destinations on the World Wide Web that we link you to will exist on external websites. UMe Credit Union does not officially endorse any connected sites, nor do/did we compensate or get compensated by any entities to be featured in our posts (unless otherwise noted). (3) Everyone’s situation is unique and we advise you to consult with our personal bankers or your finance, tax, or legal professional for advice individualized to you!