The number of employment scams is increasing, and the number of job seekers who are targets of cunning scammers is also on the rise. A person who is seeking a new job is advised to be vigilant to these scams and to be aware of what to look out for to better protect themselves against them if they are searching for one.
Precisely what is the scam?
On fake websites that look like they belong to reputable companies, criminals will pose as them to post fictitious job descriptions that require applicants to apply for fictitious jobs. The scammers will then make false job offers to candidates looking for a job.
Sometimes, the fraudster may ask for personal information, like a person's address, bank details, or personal information like a passport number.
It is becoming increasingly common for these scams to take the form of legitimate recruitment activities, and they often appear to be recruiting through third-party websites or direct email exchanges.
It is becoming increasingly common for employers to be caught up in this sort of scam, which is known as recruitment fraud.
A scammer has been known to target job seekers with fake job openings on LinkedIn as the social networking site receives more than 100 job application submissions per second.
Approximately two-thirds of British users have been targeted in the last several years, according to a study conducted by NordLayer, a security firm.
Scammers do not limit themselves to LinkedIn, with scammers exploiting other genuine, well-known job websites as well as sending email solicitations directly to university students by targeting them directly within their email addresses.
Scammers employ two main methods to con their victims.
A job offer with basic information about the company and its job position sounds very interesting to job seekers, and there is a link that says that if they click on it, a presentation with detailed information about the company and the job role will appear, says Jedrzej Pyzik, a recruitment consultant at the financial recruitment firm FTeam.
It has been observed that after clicking through the link, there are usually some landing pages that require the user to download a certain program, log in, and provide personal information - this is the most common one that has noticed the most, said Jedrzej.
When that data is obtained, it can be used to steal the job seeker's identity, or even to open a bank account in their name or to apply for credit in their name if the job seeker is not present.
Another popular scam involves asking "successful" job applicants to send over a substantial amount of money upfront to have the money paid back when they are hired - a practice known as advance fee scams.
If a person is told that the amount can be credited towards training fees, criminal background checks by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), travel fees like visas, or equipment that is needed for the job, they may feel more inclined to apply.
The problem is that if a check is ever received to cover these costs, it will bounce.
A large part of the problem is associated with fake job ads, which are especially common when it comes to the recruitment process for students and recent graduates, who may be considered to be less knowledgeable about it.
Several scams have been targeting US university students lately, according to the security firm Proofpoint, offering jobs in biosciences, healthcare, and biotechnology fields, mostly in recent months. These scams appear to have targeted students in various parts of the country.
Is there a way to protect from these Frauds?
To identify phishing scams, follow these five tips:
It is advisable to avoid generic emails at all costs. A lot of effort is put into casting a wide net when scammers do not include specific information in their scams. It is always a good idea to be cautious when receiving an email that seems overly generic.
The spelling of domain names and email addresses should be checked very carefully. Even a slight change of lower and uppercase letters can result in a redirect to a different domain where the job seeker may be a victim of identity theft.
A recruitment agent from an authentic company will most often ask applicants for an in-person interview if the candidate truly meets all the requirements for the job.
A recruiter will never ask a prospective candidate for financial information or payments as part of an employment application or as a condition of employment or anything similar.
Those who post a job stating the position is the "perfect job" usually make this claim as they rely on the high pay they will offer for positions that do not require any skills and experience.
It is likely that such a job is a scam and is just too good to be true.
There is a concerted effort being made by job platforms to eliminate job scams in their platforms.
A report from LinkedIn claims that 99.3% of the spam and scams it detects are caught by its automated defences, and 99.6% of the fake accounts it detects are blocked before members even know they exist.
Additionally, job websites are also doing their part to help those looking for work.
It is the company's policy to perform automatic verification processes that confirm the validity of its advertisers, according to Keith Rosser, director of group risk at Reed, a process which involves checking Company House information, the domain information of the company as well as the email addresses and physical addresses of the company's advertisers.
The job seekers are advised, however, to be cautious and to check whether the employer is legitimate before sharing any personal information with them. Before sharing any personal information, it would be wise to verify that the organization exists.
