Scammers are combining
spoofed company websites and fake job ads to trick unsuspecting job seekers
into surrendering their sensitive information and paying fraudulent fees.
According to a recent public
service announcement by the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center
(IC3), fraudsters increasingly post job openings on legitimate job boards and,
in order to boost their aura of authenticity, direct people to fake domains
whose names resemble those of real, reputable companies. The goal is to
hoodwink job seekers into parting with their personal information that could be
misused for a whole range of illicit activities, such as opening bank accounts
in the victims’ names or even in getting fake documents.
Many people, duly excited
about the prospect of being hired, apply on the fake websites or respond to the
ads. “According to victims, cybercriminals impersonate personnel from different
departments, including recruiters, talent acquisition, human resources, and
department managers,” said the FBI.
After the victim is
interviewed and “hired”, they will receive a fake employment contract to
physically sign, and a request to provide a copy of their personal information.
Usually, that consists of a copy of a driver’s license, Social Security number,
direct deposit information, and credit card information. The scammers may turn
it up a notch by also requesting that the victim should pay upfront for a
variety of things, such as a background check or equipment. After the money is
transferred, their scam concluded, they stop replying.
How to protect yourself
It is understandable that
in a quest for a job we get so excited by the possibility of getting hired that
we tend to overlook the warning signs of something being amiss. This is
especially true if the job
market is volatile and overcrowded, providing scammers with ample opportunity to
trick job seekers.
You should always adhere to
the golden rule “trust but verify”. Run a web search on the company you’re
seeking to join to see if anything suspicious comes up, such as multiple
websites. Companies usually conduct on-site interviews – conference calls take
place if one of the parties is not able to appear in person. When such calls
take place, they are conducted through official channels.
Another thing that you need
to keep in mind is that an employer will never request your credit card
information. As for the personal information you provide for salary purposes,
those are requested after you’ve been officially hired, and you can provide
those in person to the accounting department at the company.
Job
scams have been
around for years, of course. According to its 2018
Internet Crime Report victims were swindled out of US$45 million by
hiring scams, an increase of US$6 million compared to the previous
year. The FBI
reports that the average loss per victim is around US$3,000 and a hit to their
standing with their banks.