BBB Warning on Three Scams Targeting Job Hunters

As we receive many inquiries concerning the BCYCNA’s Community Classifieds, we occasionally come across an ad which appears a little fishy. In case our members’ classifieds teams are experiencing the same thing, please see the following tips from the Better Business Bureau (BBB):

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The economy may be showing signs of recovery, but it is still challenging to find work in BC. BBB is concerned that those out-of-work are also becoming targets of scammers looking to take advantage of those who are already facing a tough financial situation, warns the BBB.

“Job scams crop up in an extremely competitive job market,” says BBB President and CEO Lynda Pasacreta. “Scammers have set their sights on the unemployed because these people are vulnerable and looking for any decent work opportunities.”

BBB advises job hunters to beware of:

Job offers that require an upfront fee

This past month in Kamloops, online job ads as a mystery shopper ended up hurting one woman financially. After replaying to an email from a company offering mystery shopper work, the woman received a cheque for $2933.69 which she was instructed to deposit into her account. She was then instructed to wire the money to a Montreal address. She later found out that she was on the hook for the money as the cheque was worthless.

BBB Advice: Job hunters should never have to pay money up front to be considered for a job. If a potential employer asks for the job hunter to pay the company to cover the costs of testing, training or background checks, it should be considered a red flag.

Job placement assistance that makes big promises but can’t deliver

Job placement companies often do not charge the job seekers for help finding a job, but are instead paid by companies that need help filling positions. Some job placement companies, however, have been taking money from job hunters and not fulfilling their promises of quick employment.

Job hunters reported one job placement firm that claimed to offer work on Craigslist, but later was found to only be a resume writing service. The company charged about $75 for the resume service, but failed to find job hunters work. 

BBB Advice: Always research a job placement company first with BBB before signing any contracts or paying any money.  Be extremely cautious about terms like “no experience required,” or “guaranteed work,” and ask for the contract upfront to see what the placement terms are.

Phishing attempts by ID thieves pretending to be real businesses

Identity thieves employ many different methods for getting personal financial information from job hunters.  Spam e-mail might offer a great opportunity and direct the job hunter to a website that is designed to install malware on his or her computer or solicit bank account or Social Insurance Numbers. In other cases, the job hunter might even be asked to submit a resume, find out they’ve been hired and then immediately be asked for bank account information or Social Insurance Numbers.

BBB Advice:  Be extremely cautious when responding to unsolicited e-mails from supposed employers—even if the company name is well-known—and do not click on any links in the e-mail until having vetted the company fully and can confirm that the e-mail came from a legitimate source. Legitimate employers will need Social Insurance Numbers for tax purposes and may need a bank account number to deposit paychecks for new employees, but job hunters should be wary of any requests for such information from companies and job offers that they have not vetted fully. Verify that the company has a physical address.

For more advice on avoiding scams and fraud visit www.mbc.bbb.org.