If you’re currently searching for a job online, odds are you’ve run into some sort of job scam. Since the pandemic, the number of employment scams have skyrocketed, making it more common for job searchers to run into them. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reported that between 2020 and 2021, the number of job and employment agency-related scams had nearly tripled, rising from 7,324 to 21,848 in the third quarter of each year. In the first quarter of 2022 alone, Americans lost over $68 million to job scammers. This rise in job scams derives mainly from employers increasingly becoming dependent on online forms of communication and remote positions becoming more of the norm, making it easier for scammers to create false online personas or imitate legitimate employment agencies.
These scammers can easily blend in with legitimate job offerings as they advertise jobs online (in ads, on job sites, and social media), in newspapers, and sometimes on TV and radio – the same way an honest employer would. These scam job offers may promise you a job, but they are really just after your money and your personal information. It’s important that you know how to recognize these kinds of scams and know how to protect yourself from falling victim to one.
In the following blogs, we’ve highlighted some information to help you familiarize yourself with these kinds of scams and better protect yourself and your information, money, etc. Stay safe in your job search!
By Michaela Lenahan in Digital Security
