Applying for a job can be overwhelming. There are plenty of scammers ready to steal your personal information while you are applying for jobs. Here are some tips to keep your identity safe.
- Check out email addresses. Reputable companies almost never use Yahoo or Gmail addresses.
- Watch out for spoofed or misspelled email addresses or websites. Some scam emails use similar looking company name and include their logos in their emails.
- If it seems to good to be true, it probably is. If most jobs in your area are paying $10/hour and this job says they are offering $20, something funny is going on.
- Match the job to your resume. Be wary if someone is offering you a job completely different than what’s on your resume.
- Give their phone number a Goog. If someone calls offering you a job, search the company online. There are websites dedicated to reporting scammer’s phone numbers.
- Don’t pay any money upfront. You should not have to send a prospective employer money for any reason. (Note: an employer may require you to pay for a TB test or physical exam, this is ok because you are directly paying a doctor’s office).
- Don’t give out personal or banking information over the phone. Don’t give out your social security number in an email. Don’t give them your banking info until you’re hired.
- Be wary of unsolicited job offers. If someone calls you out of the blue, and you don’t remember applying for a job with them, double check that they are legitimate. Google the company name or check out reviews by current and former employers on Glassdoor.
- Think twice about any job that is commission only. Can you afford to work for no money?
- Avoid multi-level marketing positions.
