In this period of high unemployment, it is really sad that jobseekers such as myself are being targeted by scams. I've had several instances where I've filled out online applications just to have my information given to some company that tries to sell me something. I've had calls from schools asking me if I need more education. No, I don't and even if I did, how could I afford it without a job? I've had recruiters call offering to find me a job if only I pay them X amount. These types of things may not be scams, but I'm not sure what to call them. I never authorized them to get my information, but some how they got it.
This week I fell for a pretty big scam while looking for a job. Follow the rest of my story so you (or your friends or family) don't fall for it too.
I have signed up for several job seeker websites, one being Career Builder. On Monday, I found the perfect job. It was exactly what I had been looking for in a job. My skills matched perfectly and the salary was great. I quickly applied for it. The next morning I had an email from someone claiming to be the hiring manager. He thought my experience was perfect for the job, but unfortunately he was in Europe on very important business. The email told me he wanted to hire me immediately, even without an interview. At this point, I knew this wasn't legit. I continued on reading and he said he attached an application, but only because his human resources department requires it. The application requested information such as your name, address, social security number and for security purposes my mother's maiden name. Obviously, this is some type of identity theft scam.
I reported it to Career Builder. They responded very quickly. I forwarded the email to them and they sent out an email to everyone that applied for the position. It turns out, everyone that applied got the same email with the same application. The email apologized for the breach in security as the company that posted the job was not an approved company.
I didn't fall for the scam, but I have to wonder how many did. When people are desperate for work, they will fall for scams like this. When they can't feed their children, they will fall for scams like this. When they can't pay their bills, they will fall for scams like this.
If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. What a sad world we live in when the weakest in society are targeted by scammers.