Scam jobs are getting increasingly popular nowadays, especially as the employment rate has drastically declined this year. Posing as recruiters, fraudsters now use scam jobs as a means of dwindling money from desperate job seekers who are ready to give the little they have to the idea of being employed. As a job seeker, you must be aware of how scam jobs operate so you do not become prey. This article will inform you on how to detect scam jobs in 7 simple ways.
Table of Contents
7 Simple Ways To Detect Scam Jobs
The Recruiter contacts you before you apply
This is one of the warning signs of scam jobs but many jobseekers fall prey especially if they’ve been unemployed for so long. In this case, the scammer posing as an HR manager makes contact first with you and says they found your Resume online and you are a match for the job role. This is mostly followed by unusual requests aimed at obtaining your personal information and confidential details such as bank information upfront.
Certain Fees are required as a guarantee for the job
This is one of the surest ways to detect a scam job. No genuine recruiter/employer requires financial payments from potential employees. If you must incur expenses during a job search it should be related to transportation or buying a new attire for an interview. So beware of any company that requires any form of payment as a criterion for getting employed.
Unprofessional Communication
This is another warning sign that a job offer is illegitimate. But, it could itself be a tricky way to detect a scam job as most impostors have learnt that being unprofessional could give them away, so they try to sound civil. Still, you should look out for inconsistencies in how the employer communicates with you orally and in writing. If it sounds a bit unprofessional, you could research more about the company and the job role.
Missing Company’s contact address
This is one of the primary ways to detect scam jobs. Legitimate companies and recruiters always include their contact information in any means of communication used(Email, phone, website and offline address). If you notice that the job offer doesn’t have a contact information you can try an internet search for its credibility. If contact details are still not found, I would recommend you look into other job opportunities.
The Paycheck is higher than the Job role
I know the idea of getting huge financial compensation for services offered could be exciting, but when the pay sounds too good for the job role, you should be careful. It is important that you research the average salary employers in the location are paying for the job experience and level you are applying for. Remember, even the best companies pay slightly higher than the average margin, 2 times or 3 times the rate, is too good to be true.
Emails sent are from unofficial domains
Every legitimate company recruiting always uses the company’s official domain names. If Emails sent to you are from personal domains(Gmail, Hotmail, Outlook, or Yahoo) or domains that do not match the company’s official details, you should be wary of them.
Work Hours are too flexible
Yes, in Today’s world, many careers allow flexible scheduling, some are even remote. Still, when the job offer comes with a schedule that demands 2 days of work in a week and still comes with a very high paycheck, you should investigate its credibility further. It could be a scam job.
Other simple ways to detect scam jobs include;
- No credibility online
- No verifiable physical address or location
- Communication is done only via chat apps like WhatsApp, Telegram etc
- You receive a job offer you didn’t even apply for
- The interview process seems too easy.
- The job offer has a vague job description
Final Thought
Scam Jobs these days have been made very enticing. Imposters try to incorporate every desirable element that a job seeker would find tempting to ignore. This development has made finding that perfect job, and one that is genuine very challenging. However, if one is conversant with scam job warning signs, they would able to discern its illegitimacy when they come across it and stay ahead of scammers.
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