Recruitment Scams Are Targeting Job Seekers

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Recruitment scams are targeting job seekers, so it is more important than ever to learn how to identify and avoid these false recruitment efforts.

Remote working has become so popular that more and more people are searching for these jobs online. Unfortunately, unsavory characters also see this trend as an opportunity to scam genuine job seekers.

While these scams used to be easy to detect, AI technology has helped them become more sophisticated than ever. As a consequence, many people are falling victim to them in their search for a new job.

In this article, we’ll share top insights on how these modern recruitment scams operate. We’ll also highlight tools and tips you can use to keep you and your personal data safe. Ultimately, we’ll help you learn to see if that wonderful job opportunity you’ve just found is legitimate.

What Are Recruitment Scams?

Recruitment scams are specially designed to exploit job seekers for money or personal information. They have become increasingly popular since the global pandemic, as more people are comfortable working remotely and don’t necessarily meet co-workers in a traditional office setting anymore.

Research from UK communications regulator Ofcom shows that up to 30% of adults have experienced some form of an employment scam. Often, these scammers impersonate high-profile companies and recruitment agencies or act like legitimate businesses. 

These scammers will pretend to have a golden opportunity for you that is similar to a get-rich-quick scheme. But to earn this money or opportunity, you must first pay them for something. This could be “training,” a qualification, or a certificate. 

You might have to purchase equipment or products to review. Or, you might have to pay for security clearance, fake visas, or paperwork charges. The list of excuses can be endless.

Sometimes, the scammer might just want to harvest your private information and data, such as an email address, phone number, and personal information from your CV, such as qualifications, education, address, and bank details.

 7 Ways To Protect Yourself From Recruitment Scams

Now that you know that recruitment scams are targeting job seekers, you’re probably asking how you can protect yourself from scams when searching for work? How can you know if a job offer is a great opportunity? Below, you can find 7 tips to protect yourself from recruitment scams.

1. Check The Website Information

Scammers may use AI tools like ChatGPT to quickly populate websites with convincing articles, blogs, and data. This gives the impression they’re established and legitimate.

But take a closer look at the website content. Does it reflect the work being advertised? Are there any typos, grammatical errors, or repeated phrases? 

To support these suspicions, you should also research the company’s reputation, including recent accomplishments or appearances in the news and employee reviews.

2. Check For Low Barriers To Entry

Recruitment scammers often set the bar incredibly low in the job advert to try and attract as many people into the ruse as possible. 

Despite offering generous salaries, job descriptions might state that no experience or qualifications are necessary or require little to no working hours. You might not have to pass any tests or interviews to be accepted. These are all big red flags.

Credible employers will expect a certain standard from their future employees, including relevant qualifications and minimal working hours. Remember the old saying: if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

3. Use A VPN To Double-Check Jobs

A virtual private network, or a VPN, is an excellent way to protect yourself against many forms of cybercrime, including recruitment scams. That’s just one of the reasons why it’s useful to know how to use a VPN.

A VPN encrypts your data, hiding your IP and online activity. Since recruitment scams often target overseas people in other countries, hiding your location and rerouting your IP to a local jobseeker lets you see if the job is still available.

In many instances, checking job sites and job boards using a different IP address can skew results, helping to eliminate recruitment scams targeting your specific demographic.

4. Examine Profiles & Engagement Thoroughly

The rise of AI technology means scammers can create bot accounts on social media and recruitment platforms. These accounts can be populated with fake profile information and profile pictures, creating the illusion they’re legitimate business employees.

When researching a business or recruitment agency, check the following:

• If the account posts regularly, and, if so, if the content published is high-quality
• Who they are connected to on the platform
• If the profile contains any generic language or typos
• If the dates of employment and education match up

You can also use reverse image tools to see if their profile pictures have been used elsewhere. Sometimes, it will link to a profile on a company account – which is a good sign showing that the account is genuine. Other times, however, you might discover that the profile picture is a stock image used to impersonate someone.

5. Avoid Paying To Work

Many recruitment scams charge victims money at the start of their “job,” claiming they’re fees that cover additional paperwork, future training, administrative fees, or relocation costs.

If you’re applying for a job with an international company, you must remember that employers keen to attract the best talent will often cover most of these fees, including relocation costs. Be vigilant when asked to pay for the opportunity to work.

6. Carefully Check Email Addresses 

Pay attention to how you are being contacted. Sometimes, job offers get sent out of the blue via email without context.

In these instances, you should check the domain address the person in question is using. Employees from reputable companies will usually use domain addresses attached to their place of work. But many scammers will use free email accounts created on Gmail or Hotmail to trick people or misspell domain addresses slightly to impersonate legitimate companies.

7. Take It Slow

Finally, taking your time is one of the best defenses against recruitment scams. In normal circumstances, hiring for a new job is a lengthy process. There might be multiple interviews, questions and answers, contract singing, and much more.

Many scams want people to act impulsively and often pressure you into quickly accepting terms, conditions, and payments without much thought. Never feel obliged to rush into any big decisions during a job hunt. 

When in doubt, wait it out. If the job offer is legitimate, the company representatives will be patient. 

As more people are looking for work, it’s unfortunate that recruitment scams are targeting job seekers. With the right knowledge and a few useful tips, you will be able to spot a job scam before you get tricked and ensure that you only find legitimate job opportunities that will allow you to move your career forward.