Job Scams: How They Work

Bad actors will create fake job listings in an attempt to steal personal information and money from their targets. These listings may appear to be legitimate on the surface, but like many other cyber scams, there are red flags that will signal to you that something is amiss.

This guide will explain how job scams work, as well as the signs that the posting you are looking at is not legitimate.

How Do Job Scams Work?

The scam starts with bad actors creating fake job listings and sharing them online. They can do so in a number of different ways. While job sites have measures in place to verify legitimate employers, bad actors can bypass those measures to get their listings posted. Scammers can also post these fake listings on social media platforms to avoid those verification measures altogether.

Bad actors may also reach out to targets directly via email, claiming they found their resume on a job board. Or, they may impersonate an individual representing a legitimate organization, such as a government institution or a hiring firm. These listings are often created to seem incredibly appealing to potential applicants.

Often, these listings claim to be for fully remote jobs that pay very well and require little effort to complete. An example would be fully remote data entry jobs with salaries that are far higher than the average for that particular line of work. Or, they may be as simple as making money by purchasing items and then reselling them for a profit. Of course, the target will never see a dime of profit, and if the scam is successful, they will likely lose money and or personal information.

Depending on how in-depth the scam is, targets may end up sending in a resume for the phony job listing. In some cases, the target may actually be interviewed by the bad actors. The goal is to make the job listing appear to be legitimate.

How Bad Actors Get What They Are After

Scammers are looking for ways to get ahold of your personal information and money.

They can do this in a number of different ways. In one example, the bad actors tell the target they are going to be hired. However, they will send the target a form where they will need to order “supplies” that will be delivered to their home. Rather than receiving supplies, the target has either given money to the scammer directly, or sent them their credit card information, which could be used to conduct fraudulent transactions.

They may ask the target to pay for credit reports as part of the terms to obtain the fraudulent job, or, bad actors may ask a target to pay for phony certification and training, all of which go into the pockets of the bad guys.

Some phony job opportunities require up front payment before applying. This is common for mystery shopper jobs, where a prospect can allegedly make money by examining retailers’ customer service and offerings both online and in person.

Yet another scam has the bad actor telling the target they can make money by purchasing goods and then selling them for a profit they can keep. In reality, the target makes a payment that ends up with the bad actors, while they never actually receive any goods to sell.

Red Flags To Keep an Eye On

Here are some of the red flags that will tell you that you are facing a job scam:

• Any job that asks for personal data or money to complete the process. No legitimate organization will ask for either that early in the hiring process
• Receiving spam calls pressuring you to accept a job opportunity
• Receiving unprofessional emails that are poorly written and contain vague contact information
• An interviewer asking to install software on your computer
• The website you are applying to only has HTTP at the beginning of the URL. Websites that start with HTTPS are protected by encryption

If you believe you have fallen victim to a job scam, contact law enforcement as soon as possible and report the crime to the FTC.