Job scam warning for new graduates

Job scams are on the rise, targeting new graduates eager to enter the workforce. Here is how to recognize red flags and protect yourself.

Job scams are on the rise, targeting new graduates eager to enter the workforce. Here is how to recognize red flags and protect yourself.

As graduates cross the commencement stage and enter the professional world, scammers are exploiting their eagerness to land jobs. *** lot of times they're getting either an email solicitation, sometimes *** text message, or they might be surfing around and end up on *** random website. Melanie McGovern with the Better Business Bureau says job scams have spiked in recent years, especially as people look for remote work, and those scammers are primarily targeting young people. The BBB's latest risk. ranked job scams the most dangerous types of scams for people ages 18 to 34. When you get *** job, you do have to give them your name, your address, your Social Security, your bank account number. How else are you're going to get paid. So that's why job scams are so tricky. Scammers can also reach you through fake profiles on legitimate sites like Indeed and LinkedIn. The BBB scam tracker yields thousands of results for scams on those sites. We have seen scam activity on social. Media sites asking people to apply for jobs or offering them jobs on the spot. Fake recruiter profiles tend to be incomplete with vague job listings and descriptions. If they have photos, do *** reverse image search to see if they were stolen from *** real person. If they move the conversation over to email, make sure they're messaging you from *** company address and not *** personal one like Gmail or *** messaging app. That's *** red flag. So knowing that you are dealing with *** legitimate company is really, really important. Another red flag, any kind of check exchange where you have to pay for equipment up front. Legitimate jobs should provide necessary equipment for you. Sometimes what they'll do is they'll say, Oh, you know what, we sent you too much money. Can you send us some of that money back? And then by the time that check clears and you realize it's fraudulent, you're out that money that you sent back. Melanie says graduates need to remember getting *** Professional job is *** professional process, and applying for *** job should feel that way. It's *** lot of interviews. You have to send your resume. There'll be reference checks. They'll be in person or virtual interviews. It's not going to be done via text messaging apps and things like that. So just knowing how the process works will help so much. If you encounter *** job scam, you should report it to the Better Business Bureau at BBB.org/scamtracker along with the Federal Trade Commission at report fraud. FTC.gov. Reporting in Washington, I'm Amy Lowe.

Job scam warning for new graduates

Job scams are on the rise, targeting new graduates eager to enter the workforce. Here is how to recognize red flags and protect yourself.

As graduates cross the commencement stage and enter the professional world, scammers are exploiting their eagerness to land jobs. The Better Business Bureau says job scams, particularly among young people, have spiked in recent years, especially as people look for remote work. The BBB's latest Risk Report ranked job scams as the most dangerous type of scams for people ages 18 to 34. Melanie McGovern with the BBB warns that scammers often use email, text messages or fake profiles on legitimate job sites like LinkedIn and Indeed to lure victims. "We have seen scam activity on social media sites asking people to apply for jobs or offering them jobs on the spot," says McGovern. Fake recruiter profiles tend to be incomplete, with vague job listings and descriptions. If they have photos, you can conduct a reverse image search to see if they were stolen from a real person. If the recruiter moves the conversation over to email, make sure they are messaging you from a company address, not a personal one like with Gmail, or a messaging app."Knowing that you are dealing with a legitimate company is really, really important," says McGovern.One major red flag is a request to pay for equipment upfront or cash a check and send money back. Legitimate employers provide the necessary tools and will not ask for such transactions.McGovern emphasizes that getting a professional job is a professional process, so applying for a job should feel that way. "It's a lot of interviews. You have to send your resume. There'll be reference checks. There'll be in-person or virtual interviews. It's not going to be done via text messaging apps and things like that, so just knowing how the process works will help so much."If you encounter a job scam, report it to the BBB at BBB.org/scamtracker and the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

As graduates cross the commencement stage and enter the professional world, scammers are exploiting their eagerness to land jobs.

The Better Business Bureau says job scams, particularly among young people, have spiked in recent years, especially as people look for remote work. The BBB's latest ranked job scams as the most dangerous type of scams for people ages 18 to 34.

Melanie McGovern with the BBB warns that scammers often use email, text messages or fake profiles on legitimate job sites like LinkedIn and Indeed to lure victims.

"We have seen scam activity on social media sites asking people to apply for jobs or offering them jobs on the spot," says McGovern.

Fake recruiter profiles tend to be incomplete, with vague job listings and descriptions. If they have photos, you can conduct a reverse image search to see if they were stolen from a real person. If the recruiter moves the conversation over to email, make sure they are messaging you from a company address, not a personal one like with Gmail, or a messaging app.

"Knowing that you are dealing with a legitimate company is really, really important," says McGovern.

One major red flag is a request to pay for equipment upfront or cash a check and send money back. Legitimate employers provide the necessary tools and will not ask for such transactions.

McGovern emphasizes that getting a professional job is a professional process, so applying for a job should feel that way.

"It's a lot of interviews. You have to send your resume. There'll be reference checks. There'll be in-person or virtual interviews. It's not going to be done via text messaging apps and things like that, so just knowing how the process works will help so much."

If you encounter a job scam, report it to the BBB at and the Federal Trade Commission at .

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