Protect yourself from job scams

Be aware of fraudulent job postings and watch out for:

•  Job postings or emails with grammatical or spelling errors.
  
  » Check out the spelling of the company web address.  Many are slightly misspelled to mimic those belonging to real companies.
  
  
• The promise of a large salary for very little work.
  
  
• Employers with official-sounding, corporate names.
  
  » Some scam artists operate under names that sound like those of long-standing, reputable firms.
  
  » Google the organization.  Be mindful if the word "scam" shows up in search results for that employer (ex. Acme Company Scam).
  
  
• Job postings or emails that neglect to mention the responsibilities of the job, and instead, focus on the amount of money to be made.
  
  » Be skeptical if the salary and benefits seem too good to be true.
  
  
• Job postings or emails that ask you to provide personal identification such as your social security number, bank account, or credit card information.
  
  » NEVER give this information to someone you have never met.  Only provide these details when you are physically in the place of employment and you have accepted an offer of legitimate employment.
  
  
• Job postings or emails that ask you to forward or transfer money from any of your personal accounts on behalf of your employer.
  
  » Be suspicious if you are asked to "wire" money to an employer.
  
  » If a legitimate job requires you to make money transfers, the money should be withdrawn from the employer's business account, not yours.
  
  
• Job listings that use descriptions such as "package forwarding, reshipping, money transfers, wiring funds and foreign agent agreements".