5 Warnings of a Job Scam

A job search is not an easy task and it involves plenty of anxiety and emotions. The last thing anyone needs is wrestling with whether a job is a scam or not. Therefore, we wanted to raise awareness of 5 common tactics used in job scams.

If you see any of these red flags, be very cautious. Some of these by themselves are reasons to terminate your application and look elsewhere.

1. The salary is much higher than normal

Before recruiting folks for a job, the company does research about salaries so they know the market price for that position. If you find a job offer showing salaries 2 or 3 times more than the expected, that is a big red flag. Of course, some candidates will be able to command more money than they expect or the market dictates, however really high disparities are extremely rare and should raise suspicion.

2. The recruiter doesn’t have a company email domain

Most recruiters, whether internal or external, have a company email domain and use it to communicate with the candidates. Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail and other personal emails should raise a red flag. An example of a scam using a personal email can be seen below.

3. They ask for money upfront

Businesses do not ask candidates to pay for items during the hiring process. Even after hiring, most expenses are covered by the business (laptops, phones, etc). Avoid any company asking you to front costs before they have even hired you. Even if they say they will reimburse you. See an example of this happening in a scam below.

4. They asked for your personal information

It’s normal for a company to ask for your documents and personal data, but most of that happens after the hiring process. Normal things like name, email and phone are common to share during your job hunt. However, any requests beyond that are a cause for concern.

This is especially true when it comes to a social security number or similar sensitive personal information. Do not share any information like this until the appropriate time after the hiring process is complete.

5. You are a diamond in the rough

Everyone likes to hear that they are the ideal candidate for a job. And in some cases, this is true. But be cautious of someone who finds you and gushes about how they can’t believe how perfect you are for a job. Recruiters are proactive, but they use much different language and processes when they hunt candidates. Scammers will often make it sound like you are the only one who can do a certain job and flatter you beyond the norm.

Beyond flattery, scammers will try to expedite you through the hiring process. Or, there is no hiring process! And they simply offer you a job. This is a huge red flag, so steer clear of any interactions like this.

In Conclusion

The job search involves effort, patience, and hard work. Sometimes things happen a bit easier, but you need to be very cautious if any of these red flags exist. Hard to believe offers that come out of the blue should be treated with caution. Getting a new job is exciting and sometimes this dulls our natural instinct to use caution and question. The right job is out there for you, just make sure you follow the proper steps and procedures and stay vigilant against scammers!