With an updated resume and well-written cover letter in hand, you can secure your dream job, unfortunately, the internet is full of job scams. As you review job offers through LinkedIn, or search through Craigslist or online a percentage of jobs that sound too good to be true, probably are.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Pay To Get The Job<\/strong><\/p>\n If you are asked to pay for a certificate or training before being hired, then the position you\u2019re seeking is likely not what it claims. While it\u2019s appropriate for jobs to require their employees have preexisting college degrees or job-related training, experience, or certificates demanding that prospective employees pay for a company\u2019s specific training is often a scam.<\/p>\n[aesop_image img=”https:\/\/socialcatfish.com\/scamfish\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/My-Post-6.jpg” panorama=”off” imgwidth=”200″ offset=”200″ align=”center” lightbox=”on” captionposition=”left” revealfx=”off” overlay_revealfx=”off”]\n When an employer likes your credentials, they should provide on the job training and not require you to front the money before even receiving the job. Another scam<\/a> is when you are asked to pay for software, your resume review, or a credit report. There are jobs available which won\u2019t cost a thing opt for those.<\/p>\n A Federal or Government Job Through Third Party<\/strong><\/p>\n Government jobs are not outsourced through third parties who will provide you with a list, for a fee. Interested in a legitimate career with the Federal Government, go to\u00a0https:\/\/www.usajobs.gov\/<\/a> for a valid list of jobs.<\/p>\n Personal Details Like Social Security Number By Email<\/strong><\/p>\n Confidential information is not something you should ever share by email. Even if the job requesting those details wasn\u2019t a scam, hackers could later access that secure information. Craigslist is famous for these types of fraud.<\/p>\n[aesop_image img=”https:\/\/socialcatfish.com\/scamfish\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/My-Post-7.jpg” panorama=”off” imgwidth=”200″ offset=”200″ align=”center” lightbox=”on” captionposition=”left” revealfx=”off” overlay_revealfx=”off”]\n They will accept you for a job with great pay, so long as you email them your social security number. They might talk to you on the phone first, but this doesn\u2019t make it any less of a scam. If you are accepting a telecommunications position, only enter personal information on the official website after verifying the site is what it claims to be with no phishing links.<\/p>\n Vague Job Details<\/strong><\/p>\n Craigslist \u201cGigs\u201d section is a prime example of this. Unclear job details mean that the person offering the position is trying to trick you or running a scam. A great and worthwhile job will be specific to who it needs and the job\u2019s requirements. A one size fits all job that wants to hire you for unspecified reasons, and an inadequately defined position is probably a scam.<\/p>\n Many Online Complaints<\/strong><\/p>\n This is often the last thing job seekers do, but it should be one of the first. Search the company via a search engine and on Yelp and read both the positive and negative reviews. Pay particular attention to complaints, as the positive reviews could be fake or scammer or company planted.<\/p>\n[aesop_image img=”https:\/\/socialcatfish.com\/scamfish\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/My-Post-8.jpg” panorama=”off” imgwidth=”200″ offset=”200″ align=”center” lightbox=”on” captionposition=”left” revealfx=”off” overlay_revealfx=”off”]\n Another tip is to search the company\u2019s name, followed by the word \u2018scam.\u2019 Not sure if someone you\u2019re communicating with is real, search their phone number and details on a reverse search engine, like Social Catfish.<\/p>\n Lack of Professionalism<\/strong><\/p>\n Most people make typos. However, if you\u2019re receiving detailed company emails full of spelling errors, typos, and capitalization mistakes, consider them a suspicious red flag.<\/p>\n Even if the emails aren\u2019t indicative of a fake company trying to scam you, they might represent a company lacking in professionalism. Do further review with the prior steps and decide if you want to work for a company like that, or if you might be being scammed.<\/p>\n Intern<\/strong><\/p>\n Besides the reality that paid intern positions might be unpaid. This is also often an email scam. By asking for untrained interns for pay, the fake job received more replies and then tricks those interested. This can happen in several ways – by garnishing one\u2019s email address or sensitive details, asking the inter to pay for online training or reports, or even getting bank account details.<\/p>\n[aesop_image img=”https:\/\/socialcatfish.com\/scamfish\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/My-Post-9.jpg” panorama=”off” imgwidth=”200″ offset=”200″ align=”center” lightbox=”on” captionposition=”left” revealfx=”off” overlay_revealfx=”off”]\n No Phone Number<\/strong><\/p>\n If you can\u2019t reach an employer directly, be on guard. Even if you\u2019re applying to a powerful worldwide company, there should be an employee representative, hiring company, or human resources department or individual that you can reach and correspond with.<\/p>\n Not Found via Google<\/strong><\/p>\n Don\u2019t let this being our 9th tip diminish its importance. Nowadays, almost every business has a web presence. Unless there is a highly valid reason why a company would not appear online if it isn\u2019t showing up be suspicious and find out why.<\/p>\n Still not sure? Trust your intuition first. Complete a Social Catfish<\/a> search and avoid going to deserted locations for in-person interviews.<\/p>\n