The increasing number of job scams across the country is becoming frightening, from fake employers to fake recruitment agencies who are out to scam you of your hard earned money all in the name of giving you a job. This post is to enlighten you so that you will be careful and never fall a victim.
At Bloomsford Associates we are constantly implementing new ways to filter out these scam job but they are getting smarter by the day. Some even go as far as using reputable companies name to send out SMS invitations for interviews. As a job seeker you don’t have to be desperate, you have to be smart and on alert.
The following are the 3 things you should consider to avoid being scammed.
1) Look at the job title/description
Before applying for any job, you should look at the job details; watch the tone of the job description. In the past fake jobs advertisers don’t disclose the position or job title they advertise but recently many of them have started disclosing it leaving only few who still don’t. In event they disclose it, the job title are usually generalized with little or no specifics (they do this to get as many applications as possible). Watch out for Job title like Graduate Trainees, Customer Care, Marketing Executive, Graduate Admin Officer, this doesn’t mean that all jobs with these titles are fake but be extra careful when you see titles. On the other hand, the job descriptions are usually generic with no clear explanation on the roles involved in the job.
Most of these fake recruiters/employers target fresh graduates and entry level positions (sometimes mid level) because they believe job seekers in this category are naive and more desperate.
2) Look at the company Name/details
In the past fake job advertisers claim to be a company outside the country, sometimes they use valid company names but use email addresses or websites that doesn’t relate to the company. Recently, they have become more smart and daring, some go as far as using a registered business names. However, watch out for generic names like Global consult, Careerlink Consult, Human Resources Concepts etc
As a job seeker, whenever you see a vacancy, look at the company advertising, if possible do a little background check on the company. Sometimes big companies use HR agencies to recruit, in that case research on the HR company and know if they have track record. Note some companies advertise vacancies anonymously so as to avoid external influence on the recruitment process.
3) Ask Questions before attending any interview
If you are called for any job interview or sent a text message/email by any company that you are not sure of or that looks suspicious to you, politely call, email or SMS the company to get more information. You should ask about the company, the nature of the job and their location. However, you should search online before asking in case their information is already available. If you don’t get a reasonable response from the company or information about them or if they refuse to disclose any of the above information, kindly stay away.
The ultimate aim of these fake recruiters or employers is to collect money from you or give you a slave job. However, which ever is the case, DO NOT PAY ANY COMPANY OR PERSON. STAY SAFE
