You’re curious about making money online but concerned that the opportunities presented to you are just scam job postings. You Google for the phrases: “High paying work from home jobs” or “Legitimate work at home jobs” and find thousands of online job postings, many of which are offering a way to make thousands of dollars a week using little to no effort. How can these jobs really be legitimate when all they want is your bank account information and personal details? Furthermore, most people say you can make thousands of dollars a day without even moving from your sweat pants. Your curiosity becomes skepticism. Now you’re worried that accepting one of these offers might just get you scammed out of several thousand dollars. What are the red flags that signal a scam job posting?
You never applied for the position.
Do you remember applying for this position at this company? Don’t let the scammers confuse you. If you didn’t apply for the position but a hiring manager contacts you for an interview, this should be your first red flag. Usually, the recruiter says they found your resume online or through a job site. Being contacted by a recruiter doesn’t mean that the job is a scam, but it should be met with heavy skepticism before proceeding, especially if it’s via email or text.
The position is too good to be true.
If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. For example, if the recruiter claims this position makes significantly more than others in the industry, or you only have to work a few hours per week but receive thousands in compensation. If the job posting says “set your own hours” or “no experience necessary” it might be a scam designed to appeal to job seekers who may not have much experience searching for positions online.
The company has no social media or online presence.
If the company doesn’t have a social media presence or an online presence, this should be an immediate red flag. It’s extremely unlikely that in 2022 a business has no online presence or website.
Poor grammar, spelling, and general unprofessionalism.
Poor grammar, spelling, and general unprofessionalism should be seen as a red flag. Companies that are legitimate will double-check their correspondence for spelling and grammatical errors. Scammers don’t care about the little details, their goal is to get your money.
The email address doesn’t match the company
Check the email address of the recruiter. Does the email address look legitimate? Try conducting a Google search with that email address to see what comes up. Can you find any other similar emails? Oftentimes scammers will create email addresses that look nearly identical to a legitimate company.
For example
- Scam email address: Hiring@AcmeInvestmemt.com
- Real email address: Hiring@AcmeInvestment.com
Notice how by substituting one letter at the end of the email, it becomes difficult to tell the difference from the legitimate email address at first glance.
The interview is scheduled via text or messaging platform.
Don’t be fooled by the potential employer who asks you to interview over a text or messaging platform. This has become a popular way for scammers to try and steal your identity or money. Video conferencing platforms like Zoom and Skype are still the preferred ways to interview candidates remotely. Interviewing a candidate via messaging platform keeps the interviewer from revealing their true identity.
The job description and requirements are confusing or vague.
If the job description is vague, confusing, or just doesn’t make any sense, that should be a red flag of a scam job posting. When reading a job post, you should be able to get a good idea of what performing that job looks like. If it is confusing, redundant, vague, or contradicting wording, this is a sign of a scam job posting. A legitimate job description will include detailed information about the position and its responsibilities. If there are no specific details on the actual job duties and responsibilities, it’s likely a scam.
You receive an immediate job offer.
An immediate job offer should always be met with skepticism. If you get one, there’s a good chance that the company is either desperate to fill the position or is trying to purposefully hire you before you find out anything negative about the job.
Contact information for the company is unavailable.
If you have been contacted by a recruiter to work for a company, then you should be able to easily find the company’s name, location, and contact information. If you are unable to find contact information for the company outside of the recruiter, this should be a red flag. Scam companies don’t want you to find their information to contact them, real companies will post this information and make sure it’s easily accessible.
The company requests any personal financial information.
You should never give out personal financial information in an interview. If the company requests any personal financial information, do not continue with communication. Often scammers will try to obtain your personal financial information in an interview and disguise it as needing it for another reason such as setting up direct deposit.
The company requires you to pay a fee to get started.
If the company requires you to pay them a fee to get started, it’s a scam. The company is supposed to pay you as the employee, not the other way around. If you are the one paying for training, materials, or anything else before you start working, it may be a sign that you are getting scammed.
