Considered a persistent nuisance on job boards across America, scam employers are perpetually masking empty career opportunities to look like good fortune.
At the 2018 Workforce Technology Conference, we brought together a panel of subject matter experts from our clients in North Carolina, Virginia, and Florida to discuss best practices for vetting employers in Virtual OneStop.
During the chat, the group acknowledged that regardless of an agency's location, there are a few red flags that should be watched for during account validation. They agreed that staff members should be vigilant when an account has been created with no registration information, no address, or an IP that is a considerable distance from the employer's main location. Unusual registration creation times should also be viewed as suspicious. The panelists also noted that non-business email accounts such as Yahoo, Gmail, and Outlook and unusual contact names and security question responses were red flags.
Job listings or job orders with the following should be scrutinized when reviewing for scam employers:
• Data Entry Clerk
• Manager
• President
• Customer Service
• Administrative Assistant
Practice Vigilance
In a recent Forbes.com article on fake jobs, it was estimated that employment scams cost workers about $2 billion in direct losses each year. Senior Forbes contributor Jack Kelly covers career growth, job market, and workplace trends. He recommends being vigilant about too-good-to-be-true job listings, including those that tout high pay and low requirements. He also recommends giving a skeptical eye to job postings or listings that don't require much skill or experience.
The Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) blog warns to be leery of work-from-home job scams. Post-Covid, many employers do offer fully remote or hybrid roles. But some scams that the FTC has seen include charging for starter kits, job training, or certifications before the position even starts. The commission addressed several reoccurring themes that they've seen in employer and job scams, including reshipping and reselling merchandise.
Indeed's Career Guide blog on job scams advises to control the risk of becoming a victim of a scam by carefully researching all potential employers and scanning job posts for suspicious behavior. The article lists 17 common job scams, including high-paying data entry jobs, career advancement grants, and government jobs that ask you to pay a fee to apply.
The Bottom Line
Whether you are a staff member at a workforce agency, or a job seeker looking for the next waypoint in your career journey, stay vigilant. Chances are you may not encounter a scam or Trojan Horse employer. But if you do, look for the warning signs before proceeding. Verify that the information is correct. Consider using cybersecurity awareness best practices when weighing the validity of a suspicious employer or job posting.