A whirlwind of resumes, cover letters, and interviews makes the job search process stressful. In the midst of all this chaos, an unforeseen danger exists: fraudulent job postings. Though extremely uncommon, job-posting scams occasionally surface online.
These scams attempt to steal job seekers’ money and personal information, but with these CCO approved guidelines, you can protect yourself during the application process.
1. Never give your social security number, personal bank account, PayPal, credit card numbers, or other financial account information during the application process. 2. Do not accept funds (check, direct deposit, etc.) from a prospective employer. 3. Do not send, transfer, or wire funds to a prospective employer.
Job listing red flags include: recruiters using a personal non-company affiliated (gmail, yahoo, etc.) e-mail address, many spelling mistakes in emails, immediate requests for money, and broken company websites.
Additionally, use common sense when looking at job postings. If a listing seems “too good to be true” it likely is. Students who are new to applying for jobs in the United States should note that finance related logistics or transactions almost never occur during the application phase of a hiring process.
While the Center for Career Opportunities practices due diligence to screen job listings posted on myCCO, some especially deceiving scams may slip through. The myCCO Participation Agreement states that students using the site agree to report fraudulent employee postings as well. This united effort between Purdue students and the CCO likely catches most, if not all, fraudulent postings on the site.
Applying to jobs is stressful enough, but being mindful that fraudulent postings exist, along with having an awareness of the warning signs and red flags, will help you feel confident in your job search process.
If you believe you have encountered a fraudulent job posting, please contact the CCO for assistance at 765-494-3981 or e-mail us at askcco@purdue.edu.
