Down the Rabbit Hole with Caron: How to spot a Job Scam

Happy Thursday and welcome to another Down the Rabbit Hole with Caron session. This blog is all about how to spot a Job Scam.

We started the week with the devastating news that unemployment rates in South Africa have risen to 32.9% in the first quarter of 2024. This is the highest unemployment rate in the world, with an estimated 8.2 million people now without work out of an employable labour force of approximately 25 million people. An additional 330 000 people have joined the ranks of desperate job-seekers after recent job losses in several industries.

Sadly, this is where a lot of predators flourish, preying on desperate job-seekers who are just trying to survive. As a job-seeker myself, I've seen a surge in job scams on several platforms, and it is quite horrifying how many people are still being tricked out of what little they have by these scams.

In today's blog, I'd like to uncover the most prevalent of these scams, in the hopes that fewer people will fall for these predatory fraudsters. I have waves of fury ripple through me whenever I see people responding en masse under a fake job posting on social media. It's probably just the activist in me becoming outraged by the injustice.

Here are some pointers to consider in your job searching, to avoid being scammed:

1. The first and most important thing to remember is that if it seems too good to be true, then it usually is. That well-paying remote job that you can do in your spare time from home? Most likely a scam. Scammers like to dangle a golden carrot like promising high salaries, quick promotions, working from home and few job requirements.

2. Be careful with “work from home” or online jobs with large earnings – this is often a tactic to trick you into a fraudulent scheme.

3. Many job postings on Facebook job groups include a fake link shortener which takes job-seekers to a fake job website created by a scammer. This is a frequent phishing tactic, and the information which you provide is accessible to the scammer, who can then steal your identity and defraud you. It could also download malware onto your device. If you see a job posting which has a link shortener like bit.ly or tinyURL, be very wary of clicking on the link.

4. Vacancy adverts that seem to be from a large, well-established company, but which have a “dodgy” email address for resume submissions, should immediately ring alarm bells. If a company has a legitimate website, and the vacancy advert you're responding to has a gmail address or other non-company email address, then it's a scam. I've seen this frequently on job postings on Facebook job groups, where the scammer uses a big company name like Clover, lists a number of jobs (usually with low job requirements), and then lists a bogus email like [email protected]. These sorts of posts are aimed at the poorest of the poor, who often fall hook, line and sinker for the scam.

5. Pay close attention to the language, grammar and even font used in job adverts and emails. Legitimate recruiters are professional and won't have spelling mistakes and poor grammar in their written communications. Proceed with caution if something seems unprofessional. A vacancy advert written all in CAPS (literally shouting at you!) should also be treated as suspect.

6. If a potential employer or recruiter asks for any fee during the application process, steer clear! This includes upfront fees for uniforms, work equipment, training, or even just to apply. Some recruiters will even try to get you to pay for your own credit / criminal checks, usually by directing you to a third “business”. This is illegal!

7. Leading on from the previous point, sometimes scammers will ask for your bank details so they can do a credit check. This is a lie! Credit checks do not need bank details, and the only time your bank details should be disclosed is when you're being added to the payroll after securing your job.

8. If you're asked for sensitive, personal information at an early stage of application, proceed carefully. Sensitive data like ID number, bank details, or ID copies are usually only required after a job offer has been made.

9. If you receive an email about a job that you didn't apply for, which doesn't address you by your name, and which doesn't specify the job title, company name or the location – it's a scam! They'll ask you to click on a link to express your interest. This link will either infect your device with malware, or take you to a phishing website.

10. If you're offered a job without an interview, it's a scam (unless you know the person / company who is offering you the job). A huge part of the recruitment process involves finding the correct fit for a position, and this can't be done without an interview.

11. Job posts asking you to send an sms to a number, or which ask you to fax your cv, are not for real jobs. Instead, you get billed higher-than-normal rates to send the sms or fax to them. For each sms, or each page that is faxed, the scammer gets money, without ever having a legitimate job on offer.

12. If a job post on social media ends with something like “comment interested and I'll check your profile” or “say YES”, then it's a scam. This particular scam is all over LinkedIn and Facebook. It could just be a tactic for more followers or to get more visibility, but it's definitely not a legitimate job advert.

13. You'll often see a post on a job group, with a puzzle and a caption like “Can you solve this for R10000?”. People who give an answer (even if it's wrong!) get told to private message the OP (Original Poster) for more details. This is a scam! You'll end up being asked to pay a fee to release the funds, which you'll never see.

How would I recommend job-seekers proceed? Be suspicious. Be very suspicious. Trust your intuition and any gut feelings. Do your due diligence and research the company, check their website and read any reviews you can. Check company websites for legitimate vacancies, and either submit your cv on their website or send it to their real email address. Don't send your cv to a fong-kong email address! Many of the larger companies are aware that their name and reputation are being used in scams, and actually discuss this on their career pages.

I realise that there are many, many people who are in such dire straits that they'll jump at any chance for a job. Scammers know this, and exploit their desperation. As unemployment rates increase, so do job scams, preying on people's vulnerabilities.

Don't become a victim. You deserve a real job. Don't let these fraudsters fool you.

Thank you for reading.