An article I read recently on FOX News relayed a warning from the FBI that technology is playing a large role in making job scams easier to pull off. According to the report done by the FBI, cybercriminals are posting fake job openings and then, while posing as employers, conduct fake interviews with victims during which they request personal information such as social security numbers, driver’s licenses, and banking information. Once this data is collected, the “personally identifiable information can then be used to take over the victim’s financial accounts, open new accounts, or be used to parlay the victim’s identity into another scam such as obtaining a fake passport” (FBI via FOX News). As a junior in college who is actively looking for internships and will soon be looking for post-grad jobs, I found this article to be particularly alarming. In the past when I have begun a new job, it was typical for my employer to ask for my personal identity information. But, as FOX News and the FBI bring to light in this article, that information is typically requested after the new employee is hired, not during the interview. While many of these job scams likely do not come without obvious warning signs, I will definitely be more cautious during my job search now that I am aware of this rising issue.
https://www.foxnews.com/tech/jobs-scams-technology-fbi-warns
This is ironic due to there being a scam with a babysitting job at State College. There was an email sent out to students of a person who needed their dog to be watched. A couple days later an email was sent out saying that it was a scam. The email looked very believable, but I’ll admit I thought it was a little odd. I went to search this topic online and came across a lot of articles mentioning that these scammers are doing this to get applications information. It’s very hard to see the truth with anything today, especially on social media. However, will everything being online such as shopping, findings homes, jobs, etc. people have to become reliant on it. I’m glad that there is an awareness now for these scammers and some tips on how to know if one is being scammed. Just like the incident that happened to Penn State students last week, it’s very easy to get tricked. If someone were to come across an job listing that looked sketchy, I think the best thing to do is to research it more. For example, look up the company’s website, or the persons name on the listing. There are many ways to spot fake listings and scams. Doing research is key to finding if it’s legit or not.
https://www.winknews.com/2020/01/24/fbi-warning-scammers-using-fake-job-listings-to-target-applicants-for-info/
Link that was used
https://www.winknews.com/2020/01/24/fbi-warning-scammers-using-fake-job-listings-to-target-applicants-for-info/
I agree that everyone needs to be more cautious when applying for jobs. Not only are cybercriminals posting fake job openings, but they are also sending emails out too. In fact, even students at Penn State have received emails for fake jobs. I’m confused at to why job seekers would give out information before even starting the jobs. Like you mentioned “information is typically requested after the new employee is hired, not during the interview”. These cybercriminals are making these postings look legitimate so job seekers are having a hard time finding the difference. I’m curious to see how this problem can be reduced. Job seekers are going to aggressively seek jobs so it’s tough to turn down an opportunity if you think it’s a potential scam. Overall, I think job seekers need to research the position and make sure it’s on the company website before giving out any information.