You’ve heard of scammers impersonating government agencies, global retailers, and even members of your family. The latest version of the program targets business professionals, luring them with seemingly attractive job opportunities at well-known companies. You’d be surprised at how despicable these low-level fraudsters can be to make those fake “dream jobs” look legitimate. Will you and your HR professionals warn others about this scam?
It often begins with a message claiming to be an executive recruiter representing a well-known company. Their door-to-door approach sounds reasonable: “We saw your portfolio online and were impressed” or “Based on your LinkedIn profile, you have exactly the experience we’re looking for.” or “We asked others in your industry about these experiences” testimonials and your name keep coming up. ”
What follows is an “interview” via text message or conference call that covers everything a potential candidate would expect – responsibilities, promotion potential, salary, benefits, etc. “Notice of Offer” is usually sent on company letterhead. It is alleged that someone connected to the human resources department may conduct an onboarding call to welcome the “new employee” and obtain necessary personnel information. Or the person may receive an employee handbook or IT memo, Specify the computers, smartphones and other technology devices they use‘Requires access to the company’s network.
That’s the setup, but what’s going on? Scammers scour social media sites to get background information about potential targets. Of course, many legitimate companies have moved their recruiting efforts online, so scammers are also conducting text messaging conversations and online interviews. How about a conference call with a company logo on the screen or those official-looking documents? They are cut-and-paste fakes.
What is the purpose of the scammer? Their ingenuity is astonishing and astounding. During these onboarding meetings, the Human Resources staff may ask the person to provide a Social Security number, bank account information, and other sensitive data for purposes such as W-2s or direct deposit of wages. They do want to commit identity theft and possibly hijack a candidate’s finances.
Other scammers focus on high-end equipment that the person needs to do their job. This form of fraud often involves new employees having to purchase expensive equipment up front from the company’s preferred supplier, with the assurance that they will be reimbursed with their first paycheck. To add details to the story, “Human Resources Personnel” Often includes specific makes and models that are said to be compatible with the company’s network. The new employee was responsible for the purchase, but no equipment showed up.That‘because thereno job, No paycheck, and the thousands of dollars this guy sent to the company “hawker” Gone forever.
In other cases, new hires receive fat checks as a “signing bonus” or to pay for equipment. This usually includes instructions to deposit the check, but then send a portion of the total to a different office. But when the person’s bank marks the deposited check as fake, the transferred money falls into the hands of the fraudster, who has conveniently disappeared.
We’ve seen samples of their work, and these con men’s work is convincing. If out of the blue someone approaches you, a colleague, or a job candidate you know about an attractive job opportunity, your best protection is to contact the company directly using a phone number you know is legitimate—in other words, not yourself phone number. Get it from people close to you. Confirm that you are indeed considering a job and that the person contacting you is affiliated with the company.
Doing this double check may have additional benefits. If the opportunity presented itself, wouldn’t you be impressed by a candidate with street smarts and savvy?
If a job opportunity doesn’t smell right, Report to the Federal Trade Commission.The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has more information this form of fraud and related resources Discover job scams.
