Scam Artist Preying on America's Unemployed

Dear America's Unemployed,

As you search for jobs everyday praying that today is the day you find work, there is actually evil lurking waiting to take advantage of  you. The BBB is now warning  job seekers to beware of scam artist preying on the unemployed. Schemers are posing as employers who are hiring. The goal of most employment scams is to get the victim to pay up front fees or give away personal information. Many have fallen victim to these scams believing they have landed an exciting new career opportunity. Craigslist, Career builder and Monster.com have been flooded with false jobs adds.

Here is an example of how you could be scammed: You are offered a position as a remote assistant. Your Boss will need you to make some payments to a few of his clients. He will send you a check in the mail and you will cash this check at your bank. The check is in the amount of $5,000.00. You are instructed to pay out $4,500.00 and keep $500.00 as a sign on bonus. Just when you thought you landed the job of your dreams, your bank lets you know that the check was fraudulent, your account is $5,000.00 in the negative, and you are the one responsible for paying the bank.

Sadly hundreds of scam artist have been successful are cheating the unemployed out of thousands of dollars  they did not have to begin with. In conclusion here is a list of precautions to beware of from the Better Business Bereau:

Exercise caution. When using social networking sites and online employment sites, be sure to check the Web site of the company posting the advertisement. Many scams use names that are similar to reputable companies to trick job seekers.

Start with trust. Check the BBB Reliability Report™ of a company at www.bbb.org to see if it has been associated with a prior employment scam.






Never pay upfront fees. No legitimate job offer will require out of pocket expenses from a potential employee for background checks, credit reports or administrative fees before an interview. Additionally, job seekers should never provide bank account information for direct deposit setup until they have officially been hired.






Be careful of the “perfect offer.” Job seekers should be cautious of any posting advertising extremely high pay for short hours or minimal required experience. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
 
 
Hope this Helps and God Bless, Lissa Shevon