Better Business Bureau: Beware of job scams

As joblessness rises, so does the threat of scams. There are always greedy people ready to take advantage of those who are down on their luck.

“More families are becoming increasingly susceptible to suspect offers for employment as they try to find work in an extremely competitive job market,” said Mike Boynton, an Atlanta spokesman for the Better Business Bureau.

The BBB serving metro Atlanta warns job hunters to be careful of the following scams:

– Job offers that require an up front fee:

Earlier this year, job ads cropped up in Florida from a company claiming it was looking to hire 2,500 employees for their new headquarters. Applicants had to submit $24 to pay for a background check. Law enforcement later found out that the money only went to the pockets of the company’s owner. Similar schemes crop up across the country every year, the BBB says.

The BBB advises job hunters not to pay money up front to be considered for a job. If a potential employer asks for the job hunter to pay the company to cover the costs of testing, training or background checks, it should be considered a red flag.

– Job placement assistance that makes big promises:

Job placement companies, or headhunter firms, often do not charge the job seekers for help finding a job, but are instead paid by companies that need help filling positions. Some job placement companies, however, have been taking money from job hunters and not fulfilling their promises of quick employment.

The BBB advises job seekers to research a job placement company with it or other reputable sources before signing any contracts or paying any money. Be extremely cautious about paying up front fees. Know how to get a refund.

– Phishing attempts by ID thieves pretending to be real businesses:

Identity thieves employ many different methods for getting personal financial information from job hunters. Spam e-mail might offer a great opportunity and direct the job hunter to a Web site that is designed to install malware on his or her computer or solicit bank account or Social Security numbers. In other cases, the job hunter might even be asked to submit a resume, find out they’ve been hired and then immediately be asked for bank account or Social Security numbers.

The BBB advises you to be cautious when responding to unsolicited e-mails from supposed employers, even if the company name is well-known. It says not to click on any links in the e-mail until you have vetted the company and can confirm that the e-mail came from a legitimate source.

Legitimate employers will need Social Security numbers for tax purposes and may need a bank account number to deposit paychecks for new employees. But job hunters should be wary of any requests for such information from companies and job offers that they have not vetted fully.

For more information on avoiding scams, you can use this link to visit the BBB.

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