As a job seeker, you’re probably already a little stressed about finding the right new opportunity that will be a good move for your career. But have you considered that a job that might sound too good to be real could be a scam? 

In the first quarter of 2022, Forbes reports the Better Business Bureau estimated some 14 million people were targeted or received job-related scams. These scams and misleading propositions cost job seekers up to $68 million, the Federal Trade Commission says. 

If that seems unfathomable, that’s exactly what the organizations trying to get people on the hook for their personal information want you to think. 

Here are a few red flags to look out for and how these fake jobs can cause you real problems. 

• The interviewer asks for your banking information. This should be a big warning sign, like a red-light siren screaming in your ear. No reputable company will be asking for your personal banking information — not account numbers, not routing numbers, not even who you bank with — during an interview. That is information you might provide on a W2, W9, or other new hire paperwork after your position has been offered and you’ve accepted it. This is the kind of question that might come up during the course of a conversation and it could be phrased as trying to negotiate or agree to how you would be paid, should you accept the job. It might seem like an innocent enough question but it’s not! It’s a way to get your personal information and steal your identity or your money. 

• You’re asked to pay a fee for applying. Paying to submit an application to a college, trade school, vocational, or job training program is one thing. Being asked to pay a fee to apply for a job? That doesn’t happen with reputable, legitimate companies. This is another way to try to get your personal information for nefarious purposes. An important note of distinction: There are some job services that might charge a subscription fee — companies like FlexJobs and LinkedIn offer additional services or access to private job boards for those subscribers who are willing to pay extra, but those companies tend to cater to freelance or other specialized, hard-to-get jobs. (It’s worth noting that recruiting services and job firms, like Able Associates, do not charge job candidates any money ever; recruiters are paid by their client companies and offer services to job seekers for free.) 

• The spelling is atrocious. We all have words we can’t spell or that we rely on software programs to correct for us. But if you’re receiving an email from a recruiter that is filled with spelling errors, especially words that are very common and easy to spell, or that a professional job coach could reasonably be expected to spell correctly, consider it a red flag. While artificial intelligence is getting smarter by the moment, bots or computer programming that might be used to generate a large amount of (essentially) spam emails to unsuspecting victims as a way to covertly obtain personal information have no regard for language, grammar, or spelling. If it seems like the email was written by someone just smashing a keyboard and hoping for the best, send it to your spam folder. 

• Be wary of jobs advertised directly on social media. Speaking of bots and other unsavory characters, if you see a job posting on social media that tempts you, before you apply, go to the account directly. How many followers does it have? Does the username have a lot of numbers or odd characters instead of an easy-to-read name? Does the username kind of look like a reputable company or organization, but there’s a misspelling or another character (for example, Pfizer_ or App!e, or Micro_soft) that just doesn’t seem right? Trust your instincts. Pay close attention to URLs that open when you click on the job ad as well. Try to verify the company’s website when you can but if it doesn’t seem real, walk away. 
• The interview takes place via instant message instead of by phone or video call. While it’s becoming common practice for companies to incorporate artificial intelligence on their website for customer assistance or to help people answer automated questions in an application process, be wary if you receive a request for an interview that does not involve speaking with a person. This is another way to try and lure people into a fake job offer or scam and get them to provide personal information, including their address, phone number, maybe even their Social Security number or other sensitive details. If the interview doesn’t involve a person, shut it down. 

There are also some types of jobs that are more likely to be scams or not all that they seem, compared to others: 

• Work-from-home jobs like stuffing envelopes, re-selling merchandise, data entry positions that require an application fee, rebate processing, or assembling products but charge an enrollment fee
• Any federal or government job that does not automatically link to a government website as confirmed by a .gov website address
• Virtual personal assistant
• Mystery shopper

Before you apply to any job that seems too good to be true, try to verify the position by going to the company’s website and checking for open positions. If it’s not listed there, it’s probably not real. 

If you’re worried about getting scammed or providing your personal information to a less-than-reputable, or real, company, go with a sure thing: Work with a staffing agency like Able Associates! Our expert recruiters will help you update your resume to make your skills shine and can help find great, real job opportunities that will fit with your career goals. We won’t ask for money or charge fees either! And you won’t have to worry about whether the offers we bring you are illegitimate. When you’re ready to move into a new job, call Able Associates and we’ll get to work for you!