Since pandemic started, thousands
of people lost their jobs during the pandemic, people are out of work, more and
more people are relying on technology to find work, and scammers are finding it
easier and easier to advertise fake jobs. When people are desperate, they do
all they can to find a job and don’t do research properly.
After getting the job,
applicants are usually asked to pay for a uniform, training, or a security
check before they can start work. The latter often involves the delivery of
valuable personal information. These ads are generally very generic. They are
very easy for people to apply, with very low barriers to entry.
Scammers know that finding a
job can be tough. To trick people looking for honest work, scammers advertise
where real employers and job placement firms do. They also make upbeat promises
about your chances of employment, and virtually all of them ask you to pay them
for their services before you get a job. But the promise of a job isn’t the
same thing as a job. If you have to pay for the promise, it’s likely a scam.
Stay up to date on the latest
Coronavirus scams! Since cyber-criminals prey on fear, we can expect to see more
and more COVID-19 scams as the situation progresses.
TYPES OF SCAMS YOU MAY SEE
Charity scams: You
may see charities that you don’t recognise asking for donations in the wake of
COVID-19. Verify all charities on the IRS tax exemption site. Our recovery page
lists action steps to take after donating to a fraudulent charity.
Social media scams:
Social media is a tool that cyber-criminals use to distribute false information
and capitalise on panic. If you’re looking for information on social media,
visit trusted profiles like the CDC, World Health Organisation, Federal Trade
Commission, and the Better Business Bureau.
Romance scams: Many
of us are staying home due to the outbreak, so we are spending more time on the
internet. Cyber-criminals will try to capitalise on this heightened internet
traffic to lure people into romance scams. If the person you started chatting
with online asks you for money, it’s probably a scam. Take a look at these romance
scam red flags and recovery resources for help.
Phishing Scams:
Emails impersonating the World Health Organisation, the CDC, and other
reputable sources may hit your inbox. Don’t click on emails impersonating these
organisations. For accurate info, go straight to the source. Visit the World
Health Organisation and the CDC’s websites.
Robocalls: Calls
from cyber-criminals pretending to be government organisations, family members
in distress, banks/credit card companies etc. are on the rise due to the
coronavirus outbreak. Robocalls are less easy to detect than they used to be,
the caller ID can be adjusted to make it look like the call is coming from your
area code. This establishes a false sense of trust. Visit our Phone Spoofing
and Robocall recovery page for help.
Work-from-home Small Business
Concerns: Many of us have moved to remote work in light of recent
events. Make sure your employees are trained to uphold cyber-security practised
from home. The Cyber Readiness Institute has created a guide to securing a
remote workforce, utilise these tools and tips to get ahead of cyber-crime
risks. Our Small Business Resource page has a curated list of tools to help you
keep your SMB safe. If an employee within your organisation clicks a phishing
link, visit our SMB phishing resource page for recovery steps.
Malware:
Fraudulent links can install malware on your device. If your computer has been
infected by malware from a malicious link, visit our recovery page here.
Signs of a Job Scam
Scammers advertise jobs where
legitimate employers do — online, in newspapers, and even on TV and radio.
Here’s how to tell whether a job lead may be a scam:
You need to pay to get the job
They may say they’ve got a job
waiting, or guarantee to place you in a job, if you just pay a fee for
certification, training materials, or their expenses placing you with a
company. But after you pay, the job doesn’t materialise. Employers and
employment firms shouldn’t ask you to pay for the promise of a job.
You need to supply your credit
card or bank account information
Don't give out your credit
card or bank account information over the phone to a company unless you're
familiar with them and have agreed to pay for something. Anyone who has your
account information can use it.
Job Placement Services
Many job placement services
are legitimate. But others lie about what they’ll do for you, promote outdated
or fake job openings, or charge up-front fees for services that may not lead to
a job. In fact, they might not even return your calls once you pay.
Before you enlist a company’s
help:
Check with the hiring company
If a company or organisation
is mentioned in an ad or interview, contact that company to find out if the
company really is hiring through the service.
Get details — in writing
What’s the cost, what will you
get, and who pays — you or the company that hires you? What happens if the
service doesn’t find a job for you or any real leads? If they’re reluctant to
answer your questions, or give confusing answers, you should be reluctant to
work with them.
Get a copy of the contract
with the placement firm, and read it carefully. A legitimate company will give
you time to read the contract and decide, not pressure you into signing then
and there. Make sure any promises — including refund promises — are in writing.
Some listing services and "consultants" write ads to sound like jobs,
but that’s just a marketing trick: They're really selling general information
about getting a job — information you can find for free on your own.
Know whether it’s job
placement or job counseling
Executive or career counselling
services help people with career directions and decisions. They may offer
services like skills identification and self-evaluation, resume preparation,
letter writing, and interview techniques, and general information about
companies or organisations in a particular location or job field.
But job placement isn’t
guaranteed. Fees can be as high as thousands of dollars, and you often have to
pay first.
The National Career
Development Association (NCDA) offers some tips on finding and choosing a
career counsellor, and explains the different types of counsellors active in the
field.
Check for complaints
Your local consumer protection agency, state Attorney General's Office, and the Better Business Bureau can tell you whether any complaints have been filed about a company. Just keep in mind that a lack of complaints doesn’t mean the business is on the up-and-up. You may want to do an internet search with the name of the company and words like review, scam, or complaint. Look through several pages of search results. And check out articles about the company in newspapers, magazines, or online, as well.
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