How to Spot Fraudulent Job Posts
If, like so many these days, you've suddenly found yourself jobless, you've no doubt started trolling the online waters in search of job postings. Seeker beware: Many postings are fraudulent, and if you're not careful, you could get taken. The Better Business Bureau offers seven red flags to look for when searching for jobs online, starting with these:
Red Flag: Employer e-mails are rife with grammatical and spelling errors Most online fraud is perpetrated by scammers located outside the U.S. 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.Needless to say, with unemployment on the rise, scammers will be out in full force trying to take advantage of hapless job-seekers. After reading the BBB's informative article, hit the Comments and let us know if you've ever fallen victim to a fake job post -- or come close. [via The Consumerist]Red Flag: E-mails purporting 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 like Monster.com or Careerbuilder.com, a job hunter might receive an e-mail saying there has been a problem with their account or they need to follow a hyperlink to install new software. Phishing e-mails like 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.