Is your dream job too good to be true? Tips for avoiding job offer scams

With a technological assist, scam job offers are increasing, causing significant mental and financial hardship to unsuspecting applicants. But how can you tell if your recent offer is just too good to be true?

Sometimes, traversing the peaks and valleys of the jobs market can be a truly disheartening experience, as rejection upon rejection rains down upon you. But every now and then there is a moment of hope, followed by an interview and if you are lucky, the offer of a job.

Most of the time the offer is genuine, but on occasion it can turn out to be nothing more than a tall tale, designed to steal personal information, identities and money. 

Scams and the people behind them are becoming more sophisticated, making it more difficult to recognise when something isn’t quite right. So, how can you differentiate the prospective employers from the Pinocchios? 

Well that was easy

The job process is complicated, requiring significant effort on the part of the employer as well as the potential new hire. So, if you fly through it based solely on your application, with no mention of an interview, then you best believe it is a scam. 

It is highly unlikely that any employer would bring someone into the fold without so much as a video call or an aptitude test, so if the process feels rushed and far too easy, ask yourself why. 

Slow down

We are probably all a little too accustomed to giving out private information these days, as often jobs, rental agreements and acquired services will request emails, addresses, phone numbers and bank details.

So when an application for a new role asks for additional information it is understandable that this may not immediately raise a red flag. However, it is unlikely that a reliable company will request sensitive data early on in the process.

It is more likely that you will have met your employer, received and signed a contract and will have begun the role, by the time you are introduced to whomever handles the financials and is therefore in need of personal information. When it comes to sensitive data you can never be too careful, so don’t be afraid to ask questions around how this material is gathered and stored. 

Please send funds

If your new place of employment asks you for money, so they can purchase expensive working equipment on your behalf, this is very likely not a legitimate job offer. 

It is a common trick, whereby you think you are getting the ball rolling by initially covering the cost of items such as laptops and monitors, to be reimbursed at a later point, but both your money and the fake employer will disappear. 

Other cons include involving you in money laundering without your knowledge by asking you to deposit fraudulent cheques on their behalf, or recruiting you into what you will discover down the line is actually a pyramid scheme. 

You may also be asked to contribute to surveys and studies to earn a fee, however, you will be charged to upgrade your account and you will soon discover that the money you supposedly earned is impossible to withdraw. 

Be platform particular

When you are trawling the web looking for a new job, it is difficult to avoid bad characters. However, it is best practice to only use and upload your details to sites you trust.

Employers and recruiters operate with the same mindset about what is safe online, so for that reason, if they are using non-traditional means to contact you or to request information, for example via Telegram, Snapchat or WhatsApp, then it is likely that you are dealing with a scammer and are at risk of opening a malicious document. 

Stick to the standard forms of communication typically used for work-based activities, such as email, zoom and phone calls.

Investigate, investigate, investigate

It is rare for a business not to have an online presence these days. Scammers will often use reputable job-hunting websites to promote their fake job listings, which is basically like getting their foot in the door, in terms of appearing credible. So make sure you do a deep dive on the company to ensure that they are who they say they are.

Check out their website, look up their social media accounts, look into the people who have responded to them online, check job review sites such as Glassdoor, and even give them a call if you’re unsure. Basically, channel your inner Miss Marple and confirm beyond a reasonable doubt that they are legitimate. 

Getting a job offer, particularly if it is a dream role, can be so exciting that you may momentarily lose your perspective and accept it straight away lest your new employer think you are rude.

But don’t let anyone pressure you into rushing such an important decision, especially in a moment of heightened feelings. Take your time, review the evidence in front of you, maybe rope in someone you trust to offer another point of view and when you are assured that your job offer is real, enjoy the happily ever after.

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