PHOENIX – Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes wants to remind those looking for employment to be on the lookout for possible employment scams. As the school year ends and commencements begin, many Arizonans will be looking for employment—some for the first time.
“Whether you are looking for part-time, seasonal or full-time employment, everyone needs to be alert when sharing your personal information with would-be employers,” said Attorney General Mayes. “Identity thieves and scam artists may take advantage of your earnest efforts to find gainful employment.”
Employment scams take many forms. Typically, the scam artists post fake job offerings online, on social media, and in printed material, such as newspapers. They can also contact you directly by phone, email or by text message. It can be difficult to spot the difference between a legitimate employment opportunity and an employment scam. Here are some things to be mindful of:
- Scammers may use the same website where legitimate employers advertise employment opportunities and may replicate company logos to appear legitimate.
- Scammers promise high-paying jobs that require few or no qualifications, or the opportunity to work from home. Beware of offers that look too good to be true.
- Scammers may post fake employment offers to lure job seekers into offering personal identifying information, such as a full birthdate, Social Security number, or bank account information before even offering an interview. Giving up this information early can lead to identity theft.
Attorney General Mayes offers these tips when looking for employment to avoid being scammed:
- Research the employer advertising the job before providing your resume or any personal information.
- Be cautious of unsolicited job offers. They may claim they found your resume online. Ask questions.
- Be cautious of companies that respond to your online resume but provide little information and provide no contact information such as a phone number or a physical address.
- Job placement companies may claim they are following up on your online resume for a specific company or that they work with specific companies to hire people who match your skill set. Ask the agency who they are representing and check with the company to make sure the employment position exists.
- Request a face-to-face interview, rather than a telephonic interview, before accepting a job offer or providing personal identifying information such as your Social Security number.
- Never cash a check for a potential employer and forward the funds to a third party.
- Don’t pay for the promise of a job. Legitimate employers will never ask you to pay to get a job.
- Never send bank routing information for direct deposit or other purposes before reporting to your new job.
- Be cautious of an employer offering high pay for little work.
- Ask detailed questions about the job, employer, management and pay structure.