A December 17, 2003 Online Job Scammers Steal Millions report by MSNBC’s Bob Sullivan reported that employment scammers had conned and ripped unsuspecting Americans off for millions of dollars. That was six years ago.
Despite efforts by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and crime watch organizations like the National Consumer League’s Internet Fraud Watch and Merchant Risk Council, the scams have continued. In fact, the economic downturn has caused many of the scammers to don a rescuer’s cape and post ads on job boards like Career Builder and Monster.
Scammers Post Deceptive Job Ads Targeted Toward Laid-Off Workers
The ads state that a new job as a virtual assistant, accountant or data entry employee working in accounts payable or shipping has been established at a major firm especially for displaced or laid off employees. Of course, this is all just so the scammer (criminal) can help millions of out-of-work employees get back on their feet.
A recent scam used the name of a legitimate firm based out of Pennsylvania to post its ads on a major Internet job board. This particular scammer was looking for a virtual administrative assistant, someone to mail 50 checks a day through the United Parcel Service (UPS) for them. These scammers have become so sophisticated in their tactics to reel in American citizens that they even create websites that use the name of legitimate businesses. Yet, it pays to be vigilant.
Wisdom, Not Greed, Can Help Stop Scammers
Someone who is familiar with official company websites knows that the websites are the virtual face of the firm. Legitimate major firms include links to their recruiting, human resources and product information sites on their main page. Legitimate businesses also typically list an official toll free telephone number for clients to dial in the event that they want to reach them.
The truth is that it can take weeks and months to build a strong website for a major corporation, not two to three hours. Legitimate companies also don’t use standard website templates to create their online presence. Scammers are not on the Internet to build websites for major firms; they are on the Internet to steal as much money as they possibly can from unsuspecting Americans. The websites that they create often reflect this.
Nigerian Bank and Other Internet Scams
A few years ago it was the Nigerian banking scams that circled the Internet, that robbed Americans of millions of hard earned dollars. Thanks to the work of crime watch organizations, the federal government and the media spreading the word about the scam, people became familiar with the tactics.
To avoid falling into the grab of Internet scammers, never give out personal information over the Internet. Only transfer personal or sensitive data over a secure and proven company website. As soon as the transaction has ended, log off from the website. Avoid leaving web pages with one’s personal information up for hours at a time.
Steer clear of making assumptions. Just because someone sends out an email or directs one to a website that has a major company name on it, does not mean that the person is in anyway connected with or employed by that company. Validate employment claims by calling the official company, not the number listed in the job ad or at the fake company website.
Validate Claims Mentioned in Job Ads and Emails
When one creates profiles and uploads resumes to job boards, any job board, conceal one’s home address and telephone numbers. This includes removing one’s home address and telephone numbers off uploaded resumes. Many scammers scour Internet job boards to locate potential victims.
In addition to the above steps, if a company sends one an email rather than just waiting for someone to respond to a bogus employment ad posted at a job board, check the experience and licensing requirements for the job.
Allow one’s inner red flags go all the way up if a company only conducts an interview via Instant Messaging or email. If a company cannot give out an official telephone number, be smart and wonder why. It is far better to keep searching for a legitimate job with a legitimate company than to become part of a criminal scam scheme and possibly lose thousands of dollars or have the feds knocking at one’s door.
Sources Cited
Sullivan, Bob. “Online Job Scammers Steal Millions.” December 17, 2003. MSNBC. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3730401. 24 May 2009.
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