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It's that time of year again when criminals emerge in an attempt to scam people looking for extra of side jobs to help buy gifts for levied ones and friends, or just to pay bills. . Scammers advertising jobs the same way honest employers do. They’re looking for any opportunity to steal consumers’ money and personal information. What are some of the ways they can be spotted?
After posting jobs that look like the real thing on legitimate employment sites, scammers go through a careful process to try to lure an individual in. The scammer might offer a job and quickly ask for a consumer’s personal information like your driver’s license, Social Security, or bank account number in order to fill out their “employment paperwork.” But if you share it, a scammer might steal your identity. Learn more at ftc.gov/jobscams.
To keep your money and personal information to yourself, follow these steps:
- Never give out personal information before doing some research. Contact the company directly using a phone number or e-mail you know to be legitimate — not the one you got from the job posting.
- See what others are saying. Search online for the name of the job and the company plus the words “review,” “complaint,” or “scam.” You might find they’ve scammed other people.
- Don’t pay to get a job. Scammers may promise you a job — if you pay them. But no legitimate job will make you pay for expenses or fees for training or anything else to get the job. Anyone who does is a scammer.
- Talk to someone you trust before you take a job offer or business opportunity. Seek their advice and ask them what do they think?