As the pandemic situation continues to claim more jobs, scammers have made the best of this opportunity by targeting more job aspirants. Job scams are so common these days that you would be hard-pressed not to spot one in your email spam folder.
Job fraud is reportedly on the rise, according to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. Scammers have long resorted to impersonating legit organizations, and some even go as far as designing websites and LinkedIn profiles to fool job seekers.
The extent to which some scammers impersonate real organizations is noteworthy: From the use of logos, websites, design language, LinkedIn profiles, custom domain names and even email signatures. As job scammers up their game, even temporary job agencies are not spared.
There are some ways to spot a job scam online, and you should be mindful of how you interact with such people.
How Do You Know When a Job Is a Scam?
Most people look for jobs on popular job boards such as LinkedIn or Indeed. However, you may still be able to spot a job scam in these places. While stricter measures are being adopted to ensure that such scams are filtered from job boards, a few manage to pass through them.
Before applying for a job posting online, consider the following to help you determine if a job is real or a scam:
Job description: Usually, a scam posting will be poorly worded, be vague and contain grammatical errors. Even if the posting is not a scam, would you really want to apply to such a company?
Missing information: If you can’t find the company online with a simple google search, it is likely a scam. On the other hand, some companies may not have an online presence or have a limited presence. It then depends on you to research more about the position and company. You could also try finding more details about the job poster on LinkedIn or the company website.
Contact information: If the job poster uses a personal email address or a disposable email address, it is a major red flag. You can also look at the area code of the phone number to help you make an informed decision. Another way to spot a fake posting is by looking at the website/email domain. Check to see if the domains match with the official ones.
They ask you for money: Beware! Any company or person that asks you for money during the job search or onboarding process is a scammer.
They contact you first: While scammers usually reach out to your first, it is not always the case. However, legitimate recruiters often contact candidates first, as well. Therefore, you must be alert to spot the scammers.
Trades Labour Corporation is one of the leading staffing agencies in Canada and the Pacific Northwest. Whether you’re looking for a full-time or part-time role, are skilled or unskilled, our professional staffing consultants can help you find the perfect job opportunity. Contact us today if you’re looking for temp jobs in Vancouver, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, Surrey, Toronto, Victoria, Seattle, Saskatoon and beyond!