Job searching on the internet is perhaps the most effective way to find job vacancies, although there is one thing you should be very careful about, and that is fake job advertisements.
Creating a job advertisement and posting it online is quite an easy task. Thus, many hackers and scammers are using fake job advertisements to trick desperate job searchers to loot their money, obtain their personal information, or compel them to do certain things- such as download software, or fill online forms etc.
To save yourself from falling prey to such scams, the following are ways to detect fake job advertisements:
1. Demands payments: Any job advertisements that demand money is almost 100 percent a scam. No legitimate business will ask you to pay money in advance for a job application. Scammers often come up with cunning ideas to make you pay, such as saying the money is for a security deposit, uniforms, training etc. Even if you are required to pay money for certain training, there will always be some sort of legal document to sign in person.
2. Demands private and confidential information: Any job advertisement that asks you for information that you wouldn’t normally put in your resume is most likely a scam. Private and confidential information such as your banking information, pan no, passport details etc. are only required after you are officially hired into an organization, and never for a job application.
3. Job advertisements in random social media posts: Jobs are often advertised on social media such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram, but they always have a backlink to registered job sites such as merojob.com or the official company page. Make sure to check if the link directs you to an official site of these organizations. If it does not, then it could be fake. In such a case, make sure to call in to check if such an advertisement is legitimate or not.
4. Too good to be true: Scammers often try to attract their victims by making offers that are too good to be true. This could include such claims as instant recruitment, or a comparatively high salary. Know that employing an individual costs money to the employer and they would never simply hand out a job without interviews and background checks. If any job advertisement promises a lot beyond what it should, it is usually fake.
5. Email doesn’t match the company profile: If the email address of the recruitment personnel contacting you doesn’t match the company, then you should be cautious. Most legitimate companies have a company email id such as [email protected] and don’t use personal email ids such as [email protected]. In this case too, make sure to check if the company or the personnel is legitimate before proceeding further with the application.
If you ever find a job advertisement that you have identified as fake. Be sure to report it in order to assist others in not falling prey to such scams. To be safe, it is always best to search for job vacancies on reputed and registered job sites or directly contact the organization where you want to work.
