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TOP JOBS

In a recent report on job searching, The Conference Board noted that people are increasingly turning to the Internet as a key tool, noting that in 2007, 73 percent of job seekers reported using the online sources compared to 66 percent in 2005.

While the Internet has made searching for jobs easier, it also provides an opportunity for identity thieves and scammers to take advantage of eager — and unsuspecting — job seekers. The Better Business Bureau is providing guidance that will help people spot the most common red flags associated with online job search scams:

Employer e-mails are rife with grammatical and spelling errors. Most online fraud is perpetrated by scammers located outside the United States. Their first language usually isn’t English and this is often evident in their poor grasp of the language, which can include poor grammar and the misspelling of common words.

E-mails purport to be from job-posting Web sites claiming there’s a problem with a job hunter’s account. After creating a user account on sites such as Monster.com or Careerbuilder.com, job hunters might receive an e-mail saying there has been a problem with the account or they need to follow a hyperlink to install new software. Phishing e-mails such as this are designed to convince readers to click a link within the message to fix the issue, but actually take them to a Web site that will install malware or viruses on their computer.

An employer asks for extensive personal information such as Social Security or bank account numbers. Some job seekers have been surprised to learn they’ve gotten a job without having to do a single interview. However, when the employer then asked for personal information in order to fill out the necessary paperwork, suspicions were raised — and rightly so. Regardless of the reason or excuse given by the employer, a job applicant should never give out his or her Social Security or bank account numbers over the phone or e-mail.

An employer offers the opportunity to become rich without leaving home. While there are legitimate businesses that allow employees to work from home, there are also a lot of scammers trying to take advantage of senior citizens, stay-at-home moms, students and injured or handicapped people looking to make money at home. Job hunters should use extreme caution when considering a work-at-home offer and should always first research the company with the BBB at www.bbb.org.

An employer asks for money upfront. Aside from paying for a uniform, it is rarely advisable for an applicant to pay upfront fees or make a required purchase to get a job. Most recently, the BBB of Metropolitan Dallas uncovered a scam where job hunters were told they had to pay $64.50 for a background check before they could be considered for a cleaning job. Predictably, after paying for the background check, the job seeker never heard from the company again.

The salary and benefits offered seem too good to be true. The adage holds true for job offers: if the deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Phony employers might brag about exceptionally high salary potential and excellent benefits for little experience in order to lure unsuspecting job hunters into their scam.

The job requires the employee to wire money through Western Union or MoneyGram. Many phony jobs require the prospective employee to cash a check sent by the company through the mail and then wire a portion of the money on to another entity. Reasons given for this requirement vary from scam to scam. Whatever the reason though, the check might clear the employee’s bank account but will eventually turn out to be a fake and the employee is out the money he or she wired back to the scammers.

For more reliable advice on job searching and for what to do if a job hunter becomes a victim of ID theft or fraud related to a job opportunity, go to www.bbb.org.

Kay Robinson is president of the Better Business Bureau of Central East Texas, serving 19 East Texas counties. To contact the BBB in Tyler, call 903-581-5704, and in Longview, call 903-757-3611 or 800-443-0131, or visit the Web site at www.easttexas.bbb.org. The organization can be e-mailed at info@tyler.bbb.org.