Job Seeker Guidelines for Finding Legitimate Employment

Nancy Anderson
Posted by in Career Advice •


When you're seeking employment, especially if you're using online job search sites, you need to take a few precautions to make sure you're dealing with legitimate employers rather than with scammers. Fortunately, the guidelines for things to avoid and things to watch out for are very clear-cut. Take a look at some of the things you should never do while looking for a job.

Things to Avoid

When you've been offered a job, one of the issues that comes up is how you're going to be paid. Some scammers try various tricks to get access to your bank account. To avoid being scammed in this way, never agree to give out your personal bank account numbers to a new employer. Don't give out your credit card numbers or any information about your PayPal account.

Some scams involve asking you to transfer money through your own bank account. In these scams, which are usually illegal because they involve laundering money, you're typically asked to transfer or wire money to your employer or to another entity, retaining part as your own payment. Avoid any prospective "employer" who asks you to do anything like this. Don't even allow direct deposit of your paycheck if you don't know everything you need to know to prove that your employer is legitimate.

Never give out your personal identification information. No legitimate employer needs your Social Security number before you've been hired. No real employer needs to scan your drivers license or other ID. This applies to international employers as well; one scam involves asking people to send scans of their passports. If you're asked to do this, realize you're dealing with a scammer.

Red Flags When Seeking Employment

Various red flags can warn you away from scams when you're seeking employment. Watch out for people who offer you jobs without meeting you in person. This includes job recruiters who claim to be contacting you from out of state. If you are indeed involved in an interstate move, use caution in job seeking and try to meet people in person as much as possible.

Pay attention to all email communications when you're seeking a job. Check email addresses to make sure they're really coming from an actual company. Watch out for email addresses with domain names such as Gmail, Yahoo or other standard email carriers. A legitimate business should be using its own domain name.

In addition, look for odd language usage in emails as well as job postings or ads. If an ad reads as if it wasn't written by a native speaker of English, that's a red flag. Grammatical mistakes also wave a red flag, as do logos that don't quite match those you find on the company website.

Job scams are on the increase, and some of them are impressive in their complexity. Remember that if a job seems too good to be true, it's likely not true at all, and take care to watch out for the red flags that can steer you away from scammers.

Photo Courtesy of Kevin Harber at Flickr.com
Comment

Become a member to take advantage of more features, like commenting and voting.

Register
Sign In
  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson •

    @Hema it is true that once you get hired you will need to provide this information. Before you accept any job offer, you must really check out the company. When you can confirm that it is truly a legitimate company and job, then it's no different than any other job you have had where you have to give them your social security number, bank information, etc. @Jane it truly is hard to protect your identity - especially with social media. Honestly, I could go on to spokeo or one of the other sites, type in your name and would probably learn where you live, your phone number and maybe some other information about you - just with your name. And I caution, once again, if the posting is describing the job and/or the company as legitimate - move on. If a company is for real, they don't need to say that they are legitimate.

  • Jane H.
    Jane H. •

    I'm concerned that even as more people become aware of this kind of problem, it's going to keep getting harder to deal with because there are so many so-called legitimate firms that want an intrusive amount of personal information. Even social media sites are known to ask for photo ID from their members to verify their accounts. I would never give that to them, even if it meant a permanent loss of access to my account. Regarding employers who want that as well, whether telecommuting or working in their office, I see it as an overreach into the employee's privacy.

  • Hema Zahid
    Hema Zahid •

    It seems that legitimate companies that offer online work need a worker’s personal information for payments. If they want to pay with checks they’ll need an address and for direct deposits they’ll need a bank account number. That’s a lot of personal information to give out. What steps can a worker take to ensure that any personal information provided to a company is not misused?

  • Erin H.
    Erin H. •

    There are so many scams out there, and sometimes it's hard to tell a legitimate offer from a scam. I have always insisted in speaking to a person before making any commitments. Some job offers have pages and pages of how wonderful the company is and then ask you to send them money "to show that you are serious". This is always an indication of a scam.

  • Jacob T.
    Jacob T. •

    Being aware of the red flags that scammers typically use is so crucial. There are so many job posting sites and employment boards available that is too easy to get taken in if you aren't paying attention. Watching for domains, grammar mistakes and slightly off company logos or images are all great tips to help keep personal information secure.

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson •

    Thanks for the comments. @Erica typically you only need to include your name, email address and your phone number. Sure you can include your social media links also if you wish. Back in the day we would actually snail mail our applications so a physical address was expected. @Erin there truly are legit companies that have fulltime employees working from a remote location. With technology today, many companies are finding that being a completely "remote" company saves them so much money because they do not need a physical location or the overhead costs associated with it. Because of this they can offer great benefits. While it is true that most companies only want to offer contract/freelance type positions, there still are many companies out there who are willing to bring you on as a fulltime employee.

  • Erin Jean
    Erin Jean •

    Nancy, I wish I could say I agreed with there being many companies that legitimately allow you to work at home as a full-time employee. I've encountered many who will utilize you as an independent contractor, but none who offer benefits. In my experience, that's just the trade-off you accept.

  • Erica T.
    Erica T. •

    When sending a resume, which contact details should I provide? Back in the day, I always included my physical address in a resume, but I wonder if that's a good thing to do nowadays. Will I appear unprofessional if I only include an email address, phone number and/or social media link?

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson •

    Thanks for the comments. @Jay certainly it is okay to give that information once you have received a job offer. Of course you won't be even considering a job offer until you have made sure that the company is legit. Typically all a company needs is your social security number, a blank check with big letters VOID written on it if you are able to receive direct deposit and maybe a copy of your driver's license as most companies require at least two forms of identification. That should be all that they need. If they are asking for more - maybe you need to move on. Just use common sense to be safe and protect your identity.

  • William Browning
    William Browning •

    The best thing you can do, in my experience, is call or send an email to the company and ask for information. Legitimate companies have a physical address, a working phone and quick turnarounds on contacting you. Employment agencies and people looking for employees never ask for money up front, either. No one has to pay to work in America.

  • Jay Bowyer
    Jay Bowyer •

    Is it safe to give employers information after you've actually been hired? For example, I was asked to provide my employer with a copy of my Social Security card and a blank check to enable direct deposits. Are there any items that employers should never, ever ask for even after you're hired?

  • Abbey Boyd
    Abbey Boyd •

    As the article states, if a job offer seems too good to be true, it probably is a scam. Why would a company pay someone to do minimal work in return for a small fortune? There is no reasonable explanation for a company to do this. If anything at all seems a bit odd about a job offer, do your research! Scammers are getting better and better all the time.

  • Shannon Philpott
    Shannon Philpott •

    I completely agree that you should never give out personal information until you are officially hired. As a former hiring manager, I didn't even handle personal information - everything was forwarded to the Human Resources Department to collect after a job offer was made. A reputable company would never ask for your bank account information or social security number before a job offer is accepted.

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson •

    Thanks for the comments. @Lydia can't say it enough - research, research, research. @Kellen there are thousands of companies that allow you to become an employee, complete with an employee id, direct deposit, benefits and the like and still work from home. As indicated - if you are considering a work from home position, do your due diligence on the company before signing on the line.

  • Lydia K.
    Lydia K. •

    Some of the signs in the article aren't necessarily cut and dry indications that an employer is not legitimate. For example I've spotted typos in job ads and applications. Some companies really do use gmail for official correspondence. And, some freelance interfaces do ask for ID before you are eligible to bid on or interview for jobs. Instead of shutting out potential job offers, it's a better idea to background check the company. Check employer review websites to find what people know about the company before you decide to get involved with the hiring process.

  • Kellen P.
    Kellen P. •

    What about online jobs? I think working from home opens people up to be more likely to be scammed. It's the nature of the job: you don't meet your employer in person, there's no physical paycheck, you're an independent contractor, etc. It's a scary world out there. What should telecommuters look out for in particular? What are the signs of a legitimate online employer?

Jobs to Watch