How to Spot Job Scams

If you have to ask yourself this, then it probably is.

With the US recession in full force, many Americans are left unemployed and desperate for jobs. Now, more people than ever are turning to the internet to find work.

Job searching websites like Indeed and Simplyhired provide a means for people to search online for job openings in their area. However, the convenience of online job hunting comes at a price. The cloak of anonymity that the internet provides makes it easy for employment scams to work.

Luckily, there are ways to prevent yourself from being duped into one of these scams.

One thing that job scams are really good at is luring in potential victims.  They do this through the way they word their ads, the promises they make, and the convenience they offer.

Job scams often, if not always, offer work-from-home opportunities, high entry-level salaries, and the ability to choose a personalized work schedule. The ads never require any prerequisite skills for the job advertised, and often they do not even list what the job being offered is.

Ads are worded to be intentionally vague so that i can pique a potential victim's curiosity, and potentially play off the desperation they may feel in trying to find a job.

Employment scams can be found on just about any online job classified service.  Craigslist is possibly the most notorious spot for job scams. On Craigslist, the scams often outnumber the legitimate help wanted ads, which only frustrate further.

Careerbuilder is also home to some employment scams. With Careerbuilder, users post an online resume to send to potential employers on the site. Potential employers may also seek out resumes on the site to find employees. Scammers use this technique to spam inboxes with shady job offers that are almost always worded the same.

Looking in your local print classified ads does not provide an escape from these job scams either. Vector Marketing, the company behind Cutco knives, is known to advertise in newspapers and even on college campuses.

The best way to protect yourself from job scams is to know how to spot them.

Identifying job scams is easy once you know what to look out for.

• Does the ad offer opportunities to work from home?
  It's a scam.
• Does the ad explain what the job is or entails?
  If the ad doesn't even say what the job is, it's a scam. If it just says "sales" then it's probably a pyramid scheme (also a scam).
• Does the ad state "No experience necessary"?
  It's probably a scam.
• Does the ad provide a way to contact an obvious human about the job?
  Toll free numbers are always scams. Keep an eye out for area codes that are not local. If you don't recognize the area code, then google it. If it's out of state, it's a scam. If it's in-state but not local, exercise caution. When searching Craigslist, don't bother contacting a poster if they do not list a) a definite location b) a number or non-default email address because it is probably a scam.
• Does the job require YOU to pay THEM before you can make money?
  S-C-A-M

Exercising on the side of caution and using a little common sense can also help you avoid scams during a job search. Just remember, if it seems too good to be true then it probably is.

Now you know, and knowing is half the battle!