Online job scams and how to avoid them
What you need to know:
- Many swindlers first make you believe that you are the most qualified and suitable candidate for the position, then they offer an enticing salary package before asking you to pay a certain amount for various reasons.
- A legitimate employer should be paying you for your skills and experience. You should not pay for the job opportunity.
By LILYS NJERU
On any day, you are likely to find either of these two posts on social media – an individual inquiring about the authenticity of a particular company or communication from that company, and another job seeker crying foul after being conned. There are so many fraudsters preying on the naivety, vulnerability and desperation of jobless youth. To steer clear of them, adopt these five tips.
Identify the red flags
If you are keen, you can identify a fake job. For instance, if you receive a job offer from the United Nations yet the letter doesn’t contain the organisation’s letterhead or use the UN’s domain, that is a red flag. You can easily check a company's domain through their Contact Us segment on their website. Other clues include grammatical errors, wrong spellings and wrong logo.
Monetary Deposit
Many swindlers first make you believe that you are the most qualified and suitable candidate for the position, then they offer an enticing salary package before asking you to pay a certain amount for various reasons. A legitimate employer should be paying you for your skills and experience. You should not pay for the job opportunity.
A job you never applied for
If there is a job offer in your mailbox yet you didn't make the application and are unfamiliar with the recruiter, you could be the next job scam victim. True, there are recruiters who head hunt for particular positions, but even then, you will still have to go through the interview process and they will get a chance to introduce themselves and explain how they got to know your work.
Check with Reliable Sources
If you are uncertain about the organisation or the recruiter, do some due diligence before going for the interview. Some fraudsters dupe job seekers after a series of interviews. Inquire from friends or online platforms such as Facebook.
Be skeptical of easy money
If someone interests you with a highly lucrative opportunity, ask yourself, “Why me?” If the returns sound too good to be true, think twice. Further, a legitimate job should be clear on job responsibilities, competencies and other requirements, not full of success stories and testimonials.
If you fall victim, report to the police immediately with contacts of the fake employers and copies of all your correspondence, notify others through social media and block the scammers’ calls and emails.
