Searching for a new job is not an easy task. Adding to the stress of searching recruitment websites is the potential risk of falling for a fake job post from a cybercriminal. Recruitment websites are a great way to find new job opportunities. However, few of these recruitment websites properly validate the people posting jobs, which makes it surprisingly easy to create fake job posts.
Cybercriminals create fake job posts that appear to be listed by a legitimate organization. These fake posts direct you to contact a malicious email address, phone number, or website that appears to belong to the fake organization. Cybercriminals use this scam to try to steal your personally identifiable information. This specific type of information is often provided when applying for a job, which makes this scam simple, yet effective.
Follow the tips below to stay safe from these types of scams:
- Watch out for grammatical errors, unusual language, and style inconsistencies in job posts. Be suspicious of job posts that look different compared to other job posts from the same organization.
- Avoid applying for a job within a recruitment website’s platform. Instead, look up the organization’s career page.
- Cybercriminals could also use this scam to target people within a specific organization. Be sure to follow your organization’s specific guidelines when applying for internal positions.
Simply put, look for red flags when researching the job post. If you notice any of these inconsistencies, go to the organization’s career page and see if they even have that position listed.
