It takes a devious mind to understand the point of a fake job posting. Unfortunately, it’s not just a hoax, but a sophisticated enterprise targeting the vulnerable job seeker. Please share this with any young people looking for a summer job!
With so many people looking for work, employment scams have surged ten-fold. AI tools, fake websites, and deepfake interviewers, have two main purposes – to steal your information for future thievery, and to launder stolen money.
How it Starts
It may start with a job posting that catches your eye. There’s a full job description that looks like a typical administrative role, and the only qualification is that you can type 40 words a minute. The pay is a few dollars more than minimum wage, and you can work from home. Sounds great.
In some cases, you may get an email saying that the recruiter found your resume on a job board and would like to interview you. You may be asked to download software necessary for the interview.
A “quick hit” version, makes you a job offer on the spot.
How They Trick You
The interview software is actually malware, and the scammer now has access to your computer.
The job posting contains a link to a well-known company’s website, except it’s a fake. You’re asked to fill out a form that includes your Social Insurance Number and banking information. That may be the end of the line for some scams, but others go deeper.
You accept the interview and talk to a lovely woman on Zoom. She’s with Human Resources for a bank and is wearing a branded blazer. Except she isn’t. You’re seeing a real-time AI filter masking a bald man in the Bahamas. “She” asks a lot of questions about confidentiality and wants to be sure that no one will see the work you’re doing, and that you won’t discuss any of your work with anyone else. You readily agree.
Well, you sound perfect for the job, they just need a background check, and will email you the link. Unfortunately, you do have to pay $20, but you’ll make that back in your first hour. The link in the email goes to a fake site that collects a lot of personal information about you, along with $20, and your credit card info.
Your first assignment is to transfer funds from the bank to a client. It will take a few days for you to get clearance, so if you want to start the job right away, just accept the wire transfer into your personal account, and then transfer out the same amount to the client. Not difficult at all, except that you are laundering money through your personal bank account, which is illegal, and you’re never going to get paid for your time.
The “lovely lady” may also ask you to send her money to pay for something necessary for the job, like special equipment or software, or training materials.
How to Protect Yourself
There are many, many, versions of job scams, so watch for these red flags, and always research a job by going to their website via your own search (not a provided link), and even calling their office to confirm the job listing or offer.
- Communication via a messaging app like Telegram or WhatsApp.
- An immediate offer for a job, whether you applied for it or not.
- A request for personal or financial information before an offer of employment.
- An email address or website URL that isn’t quite right; i.e. a few extra or missing letters, or an odd domain like .fk.
- Emails are sent from free accounts like Gmail, Yahoo, or Hotmail, rather a domain.
- Any request for payment or fees, even if it sounds reasonable, that’s a big red flag.
- The employer is going to send you money for equipment or software, but sends too much and asks you to send some back.
- The pay is higher than it should be for the job described.
- The recruiter pressures you to accept the job right away.
- Any mention of crypto currency.
Be wary and trust your Spidey senses!
