A lot of people are so unhappy with their jobs that they start “rage applying” for new ones. This means they quickly look for a new job with a lot of excitement. This term got popular on TikTok. But, if you rush into a job that sounds too good to be true, you might fall into a job scam.
Job scams trick people who need a new or better job fast. This could be because they don’t like their current job or they just lost their job and need a new one quickly. These scams are very risky. In fact, they were the second most dangerous scam in terms of how much money people lost.
On average, people who were tricked lost about $1,500, says a report from the BBB Scam Tracker. Since 2016, job scams have always been one of the top three riskiest scams.
So, how do these scams trick people? And what can you do to recognize and avoid them?
How employment scams rip you off
Many fake job ads look real and offer great perks like working from home or high salaries for easy jobs. They might even pretend to be real companies. But their main goal is to take your money.
Josh Yavor, a security expert at Tessian, explains that scammers pretend to be employers or someone connected to them. They do this to trick people into sending money, stealing more information, or even stealing someone’s identity.
The report from HR Brew explains how scammers made fake job ads for a company called CoinDesk. They sent emails that looked like they were from CoinDesk’s HR team or a hiring manager. These emails had a link that led to a website that looked official. The website asked for personal information during an “application” process. This put people at risk of having their identities stolen or their bank accounts emptied, especially if they shared their bank details.
The scam usually includes an online interview that is mostly in writing, not video calls. Sometimes, people even get fake job offers. At that point, they are asked to give their banking information to set up their pay.
Some people were tricked into depositing fake checks. They were told to use this money to buy equipment for other workers from fake online stores. But, these checks can bounce, which means the bank takes back the money. This can leave someone without a job, missing money, and possibly in trouble with the law for unknowingly being part of a scam.
How to spot a scam listing
There’s no sure way to tell real job ads from fake ones, but there are tips to help you avoid scams. Scott Dobroski from Indeed says to look for job ads with detailed descriptions and clear responsibilities that fit the job and company.
If a job ad is very old, be careful. Also, if you need to send your application to an email ending in @gmail or a .net address, that’s a warning sign.
If a job ad has a link that takes you to a different website to apply, check the website’s address. Make sure it matches the company’s real website. If you’ve never heard of the company, look it up online. If there’s not much information or it seems suspicious, be cautious.
The biggest red flag is if the job involves moving money, especially using apps like Zelle or PayPal’s “Friends and Family.” That’s definitely a scam. No real job will ask you to use your own money for work tasks.