Is the Job Offer Real or Fake?
Employment and recruiting scams are on the rise. With ever-expanding ways to reach job seekers through social media and other platforms, here’s what you need to know to protect yourself.
Share
The job offer looks perfect, you think to yourself. Great company, amazing benefits and an unbeatable salary. Should you apply? Possibly, but be aware. In the wake of increasing layoffs, scammers are posing as “recruiters” and contacting job seekers with “incredible job opportunities.” While the offers are fake, the threat of having your money and/or identity stolen is very real.
How Employment Scams Work
It may start with a phony job posting online. The offer looks and sounds professional, thanks to advanced technology refining the language and design to make it feel real. A scammer might also email or text with a fraudulent job opportunity. If you express interest, next comes a fake interview (possibly conducted through email or chat).
As part of the “hiring process,” the scammer may request personal information like your Social Security number, driver's license number or bank account information for “direct deposit.” In some instances, victims have even been asked to prepay for a company computer or other equipment. All these tactics are designed to get you to provide information that can give criminals access to steal your money, identity or both.
BECU Recruiting Imposters
Prospective BECU employees have reported encounters with scammers posing as BECU recruiters. Our talent acquisition team uses different messaging platforms to communicate with prospective employees. They also proactively reach out to individuals who may not be actively considering BECU for employment. If you're not sure the person contacting you is a real BECU talent acquisition partner or talent sourcer, we encourage you to search for their profile on LinkedIn and send a message to confirm the interaction is legitimate. We also recommend checking to confirm the job is listed on our Careers page and the Jobs tab on the BECU LinkedIn page.
How to Protect Yourself:
- Verify both the company and job offer are real. Check the Better Business Bureau to confirm the company exists. If it does, reach out to them directly to make sure the job posting is real.
- Don't share personal information early. Wait until you have a real job offer from a company you've verified before sharing sensitive information, including your debit or credit card number.
- Don't pay any money upfront. Authentic employers never ask for payments before you've been hired. Be cautious about sending money to someone you've only met online.
- Check the security of websites. Before entering confidential information in an online application, look for “https” in the navigation bar.
- Watch out for unusual communication methods. Scammers may insist on communicating only through messaging apps or email. Legitimate employers won't do that.
- Use trusted sites when looking for jobs. Stick with sites like LinkedIn, Indeed and USA Jobs.*
- Trust your gut. If an opportunity or salary seems too good to be true, it's probably a scam.
And finally: - Protect your identity during a job search. If you post your resume online, it's a good idea to review your credit report regularly. Get a free one at annualcreditreport.com.