How To Prevent a Horrific Job Scam Holiday Takeover

Plus a 12 point quick hit list to remind you of what to avoid.

Let’s be honest: the job scams won’t stop because many workers will be on vacation. I expect they will increase, but I don’t recommend pausing your job search because you think companies are on break. On the contrary, the holidays are a great time to connect with other humans in the office using the right strategies.

Job scams are more creative and cunning during this time. Using social engineering, scammers understand job seekers' desperation and anxiety during the holidays:

• The inability to buy loved ones presents itself as a result of long-term unemployment and limited spending freedom.

• Having to explain their job loss to family members.

• Many want to pause their job search, thinking companies will freeze hiring.

Your mindset is key to avoiding job scams.

In the past, we’ve discussed how mindset plays a large part in combating job scams. It’s OK if you need a coach to help you deal with the unknown of today’s job market. Good coaching lets you reset doubt into confidence so you’re not tempted by fake jobs offering generous salaries.

Try these boundaries to implement:

-Don’t respond to any recruiter who offers you a job you didn’t apply for.

-One red flag is a deal breaker.

-Don’t press on a link that leads to an application, messaging app, or to fill out an application.

-Recruiters don’t use text as a cold call or contact. Delete and report them.

Here are job scams you may be tempted to explore but shouldn’t.

Contract or temporary work.

Companies want to use the rest of the budgeted money before the end of the year (Fox19, 11/21/24). However, you should still research the offer and contact the company directly to validate the recruiter or job ad.

Scammers will target high school and college students. Scammers will attack campus emails with too-good-to-be-true wages.

Students are vulnerable, especially if they have a month off for the holidays and want to earn extra money. We know young people are scammed more frequently and are offered money for little effort done remotely, so they may not vet the company like working professionals should.

Last summer, some college and high school campus servers were attacked, and students received summer job scam emails. Don’t be surprised if the same happens to students with .edu email addresses.

Quick money jobs.

The easier a job seems for quick cash, the easier it is to avoid them at all costs (or it should be). Again, the strength of your mindset makes you less vulnerable to job scams.

Comprehensive quick hit list of job search tips to avoid holiday scams:

Ashley, Jay, and I had a LinkedIn Live yesterday about combatting job scams during the holidays. I wanted to offer a summary so you can be vigilant throughout the holidays. Please share them with your community and family, as job scammers are taking advantage of people who feel the burden of long-term unemployment or the need to urgently change jobs:

1. Avoid Clicking Suspicious Links: If you receive a job opportunity via email or social media, do not click links or download attachments unless you know the source's legitimacy.

2. Apply Directly on Company Websites: If you find a job listing on a job board or social media, go directly to the company's official website to apply. This minimizes the risk of interacting with scammers.

3. Research the Company: Look for the company on sites like Glassdoor or Reddit to see if there are any red flags. Check if they have reported any mass layoffs recently or if there are any complaints about not paying employees on time. Look at their company page on LinkedIn to see if they are actively posting jobs on their feed. Very often (but not always), the recruiter’s profile is connected to their page.

4. Be Wary of High Salaries for Low-Skill Jobs: If a job offers an unusually high salary for a low-skill job, it could be a scam. Compare the job descriptions and wages with similar roles in the industry. If the number is unusually high for the same job in other companies in the same state, more questions must be asked.

5. Use Google to Verify Job Descriptions: Copy and paste parts of the job description into Google to see if it appears on multiple websites or has been flagged as fake. You don’t have to paste the whole description, just the key phrases.

6. Don't Share Personal Information Prematurely: Avoid giving out personal information such as Social Security numbers, bank details, or credit information early in the recruitment process. It’s standard practice personal information is collected after being hired. Don’t provide other details such as birthdate, marital status, wedding dates, or medical-related information until the appropriate time.

7. Avoid WhatsApp and Unofficial Communication Channels: Jobs that require you to interview or communicate through WhatsApp or other non-professional platforms are often scams. Discontinue communication once the scammer suggests moving the conversation to any messaging app.

8. Watch Out for Pipelining and Evergreen Positions: Be cautious of job listings that are vague about the role and seem to collect resumes for future opportunities rather than current openings. A few industries may continuously need job ad display unless the company requests permission to use your personal information for anything other than hiring.

9. Consult with Your Network: Share the job opportunity with trusted friends or mentors before applying. They might help identify red flags you missed, and others might have received the same communication. Communications are often mass emails, even if they mention your name.

10. Be Skeptical of Immediate Job Offers: Scammers often try to create a sense of urgency. If you're offered a job without a thorough interview process, it's a red flag. Remember, one or two red flags are enough to disengage. While some legitimate companies practice scammy behavior, it’s often the beginning of bad behavior.

11. Protect Your Information: Use a Google Voice number instead of your personal phone number, and do not include your full address on your resume. Your information is an asset as much as the money in your bank account. No one deserves unmonitored access.

12. Report Suspicious Activity: If you encounter a job scam, report it to the platform (e.g., LinkedIn, Indeed) and share the information with your community to help others avoid the same scam. Please report it to the platform so they can investigate and possibly remove the fake job ad.

By following these tips, you'll be better equipped to identify and avoid job scams during the holiday season.

Don’t miss…

I did an hour-long virtual presentation for the Tewksbury Public Library in Tewksbury, MA. They were curious to know how to combat job scams online.

You can listen to the podcast: