Don't Fall for Fraudulent Employers

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While on the job search, it is important to be aware of job scams and the necessary steps you should take to avoid any fraudulent situations. Molly Hegarty, Managing Director of Student Legal Services at Ohio State, answers several questions to help you better understand what to be on the lookout for as well as helpful resources for if you have come across a potential job scam.

What does a job offer scam often look like?  

Job scams can take many forms especially as job hunting is mostly online now. Some typical scams include the following scenarios:

  • Job placement service: Most legitimate job placement services, or recruiters, do not require you as the job seeker to pay them money. Be wary of paying money to a placement service, or recruiter, to find you a job. If you do use one of these services, get all the details in writing and have Student Legal Services review the contract before you sign. You should understand the costs involved and who pays for them – you or your future employer. You also want to know what happens if the placement service does not find you a job. 
  • Social Media / Email / Craigslist: Scammers will create job ads on sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, or Craigslist posting fake jobs. Scammers may also post on more reliable online job boards like Monster, Indeed, or CareerBuilder. You may even get an email solicitation from what appears to be a reputable company. The scammers are attempting to get your personal information in order to use it for identity theft. The scammers may even offer you a job that requires you to deposit a money order or check from them and pay them back a portion from your account. You are then to keep a portion for your “salary”. The money order or check turns out to be fraudulent and you are now responsible for the insufficient funds and any fees.
  • Handshake: If you find the job on Handshake, Ohio State’s job resource website, it is more likely to be a legitimate offer. However, Ohio State does not endorse or recommend the employers or opportunities posted on Handshake. While Ohio State does review employers requesting to post jobs, it cannot perform an in-depth review of each posted position. You, as the job seeker, still have to research the job and the employer to determine if it is both a right fit and a legitimate offer.

What are some steps you recommend taking to avoid getting involved in an employment scam?

To avoid an employment scam, do your research and ask lots of questions. Researching the potential employer may reveal red flags indicating it is a scam. First, search for the employer on the internet. Search for the employer’s name and “scam”. If a job advertisement provides contact information, search for that address on the internet. Most employers do not use personal email addresses like Gmail and Yahoo. Is the business address in a residential neighborhood? If so, that may be a sign it is not a legitimate business.

Review the state’s Attorney General’s website, the Better Business Bureau, and other consumer protection agencies to see if they have information posted about the employer. If there are numerous complaints about the employer, you may not want to take the job. 

Also, review the job posting carefully. Are there spelling and grammar errors? Is the money you will potentially make more than the job itself? These are all red flags!

Finally, most legitimate job offers do not require you to pay money for the promise of a job. You should not give a potential employer your personal information including your date of birth, social security number, address, or bank account information until you are certain the offer is legitimate. 

Do not agree to deposit the employer’s money in your bank account and then to distribute those funds from your account. That is not a job, it is a scam.

How can students get in contact with SLS if they think that they have been involved in a job scam? 

SLS is here to help. We are happy to review a job offer with students to determine the legitimacy of the offer. We will also review employment contracts with student. Students can schedule an appointment on our Student Legal Services website and use the Civil Matters schedule. We are currently conducting most appointments by phone. 

“Trust your instincts. Intuition doesn’t lie.” - Oprah Winfrey