Looking for a job is hard work. The last thing you need to deal with is identity theft while you’re searching for employment. Follow these tips to help make your job search more effective and secure.
• Avoid unprofessional listings
Absence of a professional job title, lack of specific job tasks, frequent misspellings and grammatical errors may be signs of a fraudulent posting. Contact email addresses using free web mail services, such as Gmail or Yahoo may also be indicators of a less than reputable organization.
• Always do your research
When applying for any position it is important that you research the company thoroughly before releasing any of your personal information. Google search the company name followed by the words such as, “fraud,” “scam,” “reviews,” “complaints.”
• Don’t provide too many personal details
While it’s necessary to share some of your personal details during job search online, you should always omit some information. This includes your mother’s maiden name, your Social Security number, your credit card or bank account numbers and more. Be aware that a legitimate employer will not require you to submit this sensitive information digitally.
• Know how to spot a scam
Nine times out of ten, a job that sounds too good to be true, isn’t true. This means that you need to be wary of ads that: urge you to apply immediately, emphasize that you do not need experience to qualify for the position/s, and promise salary figures that are unrealistic.
