We’ve all seen ads for the “make $10k each month working from home!” job postings. Most of us are smart enough to know these too-good-to-be-true claims are simply that. The scam will either demand money upfront to apply for the job, or they may be for a “money mule” position that supports the money laundering of a criminal operation. But a third type of job scam is becoming more common and harder to detect. In this scenario, the recruiter is offering a reasonable salary for a position at a well-known company. The prospective employee goes through one or more phone interviews before being offered the job and then is asked to fill out the common new-hire paperwork: full name and address, date of birth, social security number, even a bank account number for direct deposit. Guess what? The recruiter is actually a scammer who now has more than enough information to steal your identity and drain your bank account. This type of scam is harder to detect because it all seems legitimate until it’s too late. One of the few ways for a job seeker to protect themselves is to confirm the job posting with the company’s HR department directly, and be wary of any interviews with someone that doesn’t have an official email address with the company.
