Ruth Robb posted on February 27, 2009 15:48
Using the Internet to Job Search are we?
Recently, I have read several articles regarding job search scams that are prevalent in the United States due to the weakened job market. I believe that it’s only a matter time before we’ll be facing similar scams here in Canada. We are a global community, thanks to the Internet and its information sharing capabilities.
Beware, the scams are usually laced with enticing job prospects and promises of higher than average salaries. Sometimes private job search agencies go as far as to place ads for career positions that are non-existent in order to hard sell their career services to unsuspecting job hunters. Other scammers are out to collect personal information, otherwise known as identity theft. Usually these ads are very vague, in that they do not mention the actual name of the company they are recruiting for. Instead, they might say something like “leading manufacturer seeks…” or other descriptive titles with no actual company name being mentioned.
Still, other private Agencies may promise access to the hidden job market, high end jobs for professionals, or any combination of things they think will get the weary job seeker to part with his/her hard earned cash. Beware of promises that seem too good to be true. We’ve all seen the work from home ads that ask you to send a minimal amount of money to them up front. You receive your get started package that is nothing more than simple information you can find with a well executed Google search. The solicitor gains cash from unsuspecting people who are hoping to become self-employed. This specific scam is tough to crack down on as the solicitor has fulfilled his obligation when he sends you a package for your money sent. They haven’t broken any law, they just lack ethics.
Advice from the Resume Advisor is, “Do your homework before answering solicitation emails received from any site where you have a posted a resume or registered to have emails sent notifying you of potential job matches.”
Wall Street Careers has some really helpful information on the scams that are in circulation and how to protect yourself from getting caught in this sometimes expensive web of deceit.
Check it out at Wall Street Journals under the Career section. Here is the link.
WSJ.com - It Isn't Always a Job Behind an Online Job Posting
Another good article from About.com
http://jobsearch.about.com/cs/workathomehelp/a/homescam.htm