-: Searching for a job online is common practice,
but also becoming common these days
is online job fraud, scams.
That job you found that seems too good to be true?
Well, it just might be.
(bright music)
First, let's take a look at some examples of scams.
The overlapping theme of all of these scams
is that they typically begin with a job
that is either exaggerated or doesn't exist at all.
Number one, someone promises to help you
land a job if you pay them up front.
Then they disappear.
You should never send money to someone that you don't know
without thoroughly researching and vetting
the legitimacy of the company.
Number two, someone you do not know
reaches out to you out of the blue
about a job that you'd be perfect for.
Seems odd, since they don't know you at all,
then they ask for your personal information.
In this case, they may be more interested
in stealing from you than they are in giving you a job.
You should never share your personal information
with someone that you don't know.
And while you're at it, take a look at the job postings
on their website to see if this position actually exists.
Number three, you see a job posting
offering higher than normal wages
for candidates with little to no experience.
Seems too good to be true, right? Well, it probably is.
The catch here is that they want you to pay up front
for training and processing and pretty much
whatever else they can think of.
Again, you should never send money
to someone that you don't know.
You may be wondering what to look out for.
So here's some job fraud warning signs.
An email out of the blue from someone you don't know.
A contact email address, not tied to a company.
For example, @Gmail or @Yahoo.
Postings or emails with bad grammar,
misspellings, or all-caps in the subject line.
Anything that guarantees you a job or money-making ability.
Promise of a lot of money for a little work.
Overemphasis on the compensation
and not the job responsibilities.
Vague job postings with little info
that seem to be open to anyone.
Company websites with hardly any information.
No company address or phone number provided.
You hear back immediately after applying.
They ask for your personal information right away,
like your driver's license or social security number.
They only want to communicate with you via email or text.
You should expect potential employers to want to meet you,
or at least talk to you via video or phone call.
You get the job very quickly.
Okay, let's recap by playing a little
back and forth game of should and should not.
You should research the company thoroughly.
You should not share any sensitive information
like banking accounts, social security number
or credit card numbers.
You should request an in-person interview in a safe place.
You should not make any payments whatsoever.
Landing the right job takes patience,
persistence and a little luck.
Stay motivated, but stay safe out there.
Let's not do these scammers any favors.