Job recruitment scams are on the rise, reports a major U.S. jobs placement firm, and a recent survey of recruiters reveals that many people within the industry feel not enough is being done to stop the problem.
8 in 10 recruiters surveyed tell CV-Library that not enough is being done to raise awareness among job hunters about the signs of a job scam, Recruiter reports.
The survey results come as some major international employers are warning job seekers about the problem.
Shell Oil, for instance, posted online that someone posing as company recruiters were asking job seekers to transfer thousands of dollars in exchange for work permits and insurance policies.
The mining company Rio Tinto says someone was running Facebook advertisements claiming to be them. Rio Tinto’s company website claims the scam was a way for someone to get the personal information of job seekers, such as tax files and driver’s license, and then use that information to open credit cards and bank accounts.
National outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas reports another similar case out of Houston, Texas in which scammers even held an online interview, via Google Hangout, as a way to trick someone into accepting fraudulent checks to set up a home office, and have the victim send money to the thieves account.
Since the internet can be filled with horror stories like these, recruitment experts say it’s best to stick with more established and trusted sources for job postings.
Experts say there are some red flags job seekers should look out for.
- Personal email addresses (ie. joebloggs@hotmail.com)
- Regular spelling and grammatical mistakes, which could indicate poor translation
- Unrealistic salaries (if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is)
- Stating ‘No Experience Necessary’ as a job title
- A job offer without an interview
- Premium rate phone numbers for interviews
- Illegitimate company names and web addresses
Experts say job seekers should stick to reputable sources for information about jobs, like Glassdoor, Indeed, and JobNewsUSA.
JobNewsUSA, for instance, vets companies before posting jobs online, and before inviting those company representatives to their regular jobs fairs, like the “Mega Community Career Fair” held in Tampa on Tuesday.
The event at George M. Steinbrenner Field had recruiters from at least 20 Tampa Bay area companies and institutions looking to fill over 550 open positions.
JobsNewsUSA says job seekers should ask hiring managers at each booth for a business card containing their contact information so you can follow up with them, says JobNewsUSA.
You can find information about the next local JobNewsUSA job fair by going to their website or their Facebook page @JobNewsUSA.
Companies that participated in the job fair today included:
- 24-7 Intouch
- Aflac
- America II Electronics
- Ameriprise Financial
- Bed Bath & Beyond
- Jasper Contractors
- LaSalle Computer Learning
- Market Technologies
- Massey Services
- People Ready
- Reed TMS Logistics
- Roadmaster Driver School
- Center for Technology Training
- Kingpin Tattooo Supply
- Manatee County Government
- CRG
- CLP Resources
- Kelly Educational Services
- e-Telequote Insurance
- CyraCom International
