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I need to vent.

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Shaman

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I need to vent.

What's wrong with people? For the second time during my job search, I was contacted by a scammer. The first time, the scammer had all ducks in a row...the company's letterhead (it was a German company that the scammer claimed was opening a US branch), the persona of an actual employee, the logo, and the CEO's signature. If I had not done extensive research on the little red flags, I probably would have had my identity stolen.

My most recent experience (just yesterday) involved an American hardware company PCI executive, purportedly looking for a personal assistant. She messaged me soon after I applied, asking when we could speak on the phone. I provided open times. Her next contact asked me to photocopy front and back of my DL and forward it to the company attorney's gmail so that a background check could be run since I would be assisting the CEO.

Hmmm...Gmail address for the attorney of a publicly traded business? A background check before a first interview? A PCI, not HR, advertising a job opening? My BS meter was dinging nonstop. Needless to say, I declined to go further in the process. Finding a fit is difficult enough without these predators.

Ok, rant is over. Thanks for listening.

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  1. Anonymous

    Thank you for sharing! I never realized how prevalent this was.

  2. Anonymous

    It's HORRIBLE. 10X worse than you can imagine

  3. Anonymous

    I'm not surprised. Not one bit.

    Scammers know people are looking and they are not stupid.

    I'm glad you researched

  4. Anonymous

    Agreed. So disturbing that these scammer managed to rip off billions of dollars every year.

  5. Lesa Edwards, Career Coach & Master Resume Writer

    Shaman,

    It helps me to think about the basement level of hell - where people who defraud, scam, and take advantage of people will get to hang out in eternity.

    Oh - I personally believe animal abusers will be their cellmates down there. :)

    You know what they say about Karma...

  6. Barb Hansen

    I'm sorry that you are dealing with this while trying to find a new job, and I thank you for sharing this. It's important that we all learn about the ways that scammers try to get our personal information.

  7. Rene Letendre

    Ay yai yai. Cray. Zee. Town. I'm sorry you are dealing with this, but am super-impressed with your excellent discernment.

  8. Deborah Mitchell

    As long as people fall for these kinds of scams are going to continue. They're hard to catch, and not held accountable.
    Who do you even report that kind of fraud to?

  9. Nirupama Raghavan

    Good for you for spotting her and for bringing awareness to this issue.

  10. Jennifer

    I appreciate you sharing this information. I had no idea scammers are doing this.

  11. Vi Brown

    Me either!

  12. Anonymous

    I would encourage not apply on job boards if possible please to the company's website to see if job is legit and apply there.

  13. Anonymous

    I am grateful for the information. I’ve endured my own “scammers” since Covid. It’s frustrating. Great instinct for BS.

  14. C Allen

    I would encourage you to share the scammers information with the real companies. I've had this happen in the past and did as I'm suggesting. They were very grateful. Leave it to them to handle.

  15. Christy K. Hanthorn

    Thanks for sharing. Hopefully, this will help others avoid the nightmare of identity theft. These scammers know people are desperate. It's still amazing to me how many people fill out these "fun" questionnaires on Facebook in which they literally give away answers to common password questions. I may have fallen for that years ago but not now.

  16. Violet Cassidy-Maroke (She/her)

    It is beyond frustrating for job seekers. I call them out on it. In Canada there are certain things people cannot ask for - and many new Canadians or young workers or others who are very desperate would not know any better. It is terrible they are being preyed upon in this economic reality. People are already in need of work - and legitimate employers are finding it tough to bring on enough new workers to keep afloat. Not sure what the answer is here... But it is certainly an issue that deserves some attention!

  17. Doris L Williams

    OMG I’m so sorry that happened but the scammers are out a lot.

  18. LaDonna Collins

    Thank you for sharing this. I’m sure many people are victimized by these schemes. Glad you did your research.

  19. Anonymous

    I wonder if it’s possible to bait them. To say, oh since this is such a high profile role, should I share my bank info? Yes ok. You know there are a lot of scams out there. Let’s do a video call first. See if it’s possible to get some data about the scammers that can be shared with police. And obviously, don’t give any info.

  20. Anonymous

    Love this. Even though I have found employment I still get contacted. I ask them to send a copy of the resume they received because I will have to contact the police for an identity theft investigation. Then they admit they found my resume online.

  21. Shaman

    I did this with the first scammer. I gave the target company every written document, a copy of the "offer," a copy of the "check," and the names and phone numbers used in the scam. They knew someone was using their information. Hopefully this helped them to track.

  22. Anonymous

    All that is needed to do a criminal background check is your first and last name. A driver's license and motor vehicle check if the candidate would be driving a company vehicle. No other reason to provide any ID until first day of work.

  23. BeaBoss645203

    I agree that job hunting is hard enough without the scammers trying to make life miserable. I get emails from them offering me career opportunities lol. All they want is your personal info to steal your ID . Also, I never had a company I worked for ask for a background check before a job offer.

  24. Anonymous

    I answer a Hotline for our company and during the pandemic I have been receiving numerous calls from applicants who thought they had a job with us. Sadly many gave out their personal information - including SS#'s, bank info, DL, etc. One mother called on behalf of her daughter who was embarrassed at how she was scammed. These scammers didn't used to be so "good" at deceitfulness but they seem to have honed their craft in the last few years. Lately, they seem to be using some of our phone lines to spoof calls so folks call me back with similar stories (including real estate calls that they are looking to buy/rent - we don't have any real estate). I feel so badly when I take these calls. Be careful and please tell anyone you know looking to be very careful and verify everything. Several companies - ours included - have started posting this on LinkedIn.

  25. Joan Marie Verba

    I was nearly scammed in May. I answered a job posting on Glassdoor. I checked out the the company and it was legitimate. They sent me an employment contract and that seemed legitimate also. They said it was a work at home job and that they would send me a check to buy the equipment I needed to work at home.

    The name on the check didn't match the company name. I asked about this and was told it was a trusted vendor. I checked out the return address on the envelope the check came in on Google maps and it was an empty lot.

    I took the check to the bank to deposit it and asked them to verify that the check was good. This was a Friday and they said they wouldn't get the information until Monday. Saturday they contacted me and said I had to take the money out of my bank account RIGHT NOW in cash and pay their approved vendor for the equipment. The bank, of course, wouldn't let me do it.

    That's the last I heard of them.

    I called the Minnesota Attorney General's office who told me this was a common scam. They referred me to the FBI and FTC and told me to file a report on them, which I did.

    I had not encountered an employment scam before and didn't realize they were so common.

  26. Joan Marie Verba

    (The check, of course, was returned with a note that the account had been closed. I had to pay a returned check fee.)

  27. Shaman

    Wow. Insult to injury. I'm sorry this happened to you. The first scammer that I dealt with also sent a check (FedEx), and when I tried to check the address, it was a dropbox. Long story short, I reported the scammer to the company whose name they were using. I provided them with any email communications and a copy of the check. They said they were investigating. Hope they did.

  28. Rachel

    This is a classic scam - they look for people on job posting sites and send them these "We will send you a check, send us the bulk by Western Union, keep the rest" instructions. Of course, if you do it, by the time you find out it's a bad check you've already sent the money via Western Union (untraceable) and you're out god knows how much for the balance. Two different scammers tried this on me, and both were disappointed, because NO WAY was I sending them anything unless that check cleared first (and of course it was fraudulent, so they got nothing). If they can scam a couple of people, they've made a good profit. Disgusting.

  29. Claire McCabe

    Joan, this is terrible! I’m so sorry.

  30. Anonymous

    Seriously? Lol

  31. Chriscodyc1

    This is not the forum for your trolling.

  32. LF

    Speaking of potential scams…

  33. Shaman

    I was thinking the exact same thing.

  34. Maggie Stone

    Thank you for sharing. It is appalling how frequently this comes up. I had one person, who claimed to be a recruiter from a temp agency ask for a social ( to set up an account in their system) and a copy of my diploma in an initial phone call. I declined. Always be wary of people asking for personal information up front or being pushy about accessing links.

  35. Anonymous

    Since we often have Human Resources professionals on the blogs, can you folks please weigh in regarding how this is handled in a reputable company? Thanks in advance. It will be useful to hear how an candidate is verified and how background searches etc. are handled. The job search process is difficult enough without having to deal with this kind of nonsense.

  36. Anonymous

    Oh my goodness. Thank you for sharing. It’s unbelievable the lengths people will go through to make $. So sorry !

  37. Anonymous

    Lmao really?!?

  38. Anonymous

    I'm so sorry this happened to you. I once worked for a company whose identity was stolen by scammers and it was awful. I'd urge you to contact the authentic company to let them know -- there are some things they may be able to do to ensure it doesn't happen to future job seekers.

  39. ceili

    Yeah, I had a similar experience just yesterday...clearly a phishing operation (wanting me to provide my credit rate before you speak with you? nada!)

  40. EMILY KIKUE FRANK

    Ugh, I hear you! Why must people try to be evil?

  41. Anonymous

    Was that English? Your translator app stinks.

  42. Rachel

    Scammers are very, very good at what they do. I did a CLE on data security recently and learned that since the start of the pandemic, cyber fraud is up 400%. I'm so glad to hear that your "antennae" went up and you picked up on the red flags. We all need to be really alert and careful - if the process seems wrong, don't be afraid to shut it down!

  43. Bbalding

    I've not had need to apply for positions for many years and it would've never occurred to me that this is a new method of identity theft - thank you for sharing as I'm certain this will open the eyes of many of us who have never experienced this. Like finding the perfect spot isn't hard enough with everything you have to consider - now you have to worry about this in addition??????? Wowzers!!!!

  44. CMP_88

    Wow! I had no idea this type of scam was "a thing" as they say! Kudos to your BS Meter--I'm not sure I would've been as savvy. So sorry this happened, and I wish you luck on your job search. Maybe you should start looking in the field of cyber security! ;)

  45. Karen Gongaware

    According to my State (PA) Attorney General, the reason these people go unpunished is their IP addresses are from foreign countries. If phone, again, out of the country. Sad but true, thieves and asshats prey on people who can least afford it. Go after someone with millions! Oh wait, they don't need a job, we do. Protect yourself the best you can.

  46. Shelby C

    One of mine was here, so she live in Club Fed now. =) I set her up like dominoes for additional charges. Police can't entrap people, but victims can.

  47. GirlBossanova934974

    These are obviously very BADLY written scams and as obvious as 6 dollar bills! I would not get too excited. Nobody asks for any IDs until you have a written offer letter and are undergoing a formal background check. AND even then, they just want the DL information, not the actual DL. I keep getting these Renew Your Viral Software Account emails all the time. HINT: The source is from a GMAIL account and written by a person whose English language skills are very poor. JUST DELETE and move on with your day!

  48. Anonymous

    Yes, this seems to be a trend currently, especially on LinkedIn.com. I have been contacted by several sketchy people about jobs that were so fantastic on paper, you couldn't resist. They always seem to be foreigners (in my experience) trying to get you to work for them in the US.

  49. Stacey Dunleavy

    I was hit with the identity theft scams a few times when I was at my most desperate. When they get to the point where they're asking for my Social Security number, I just say "I don't give that out." Funny how I never hear about the gig again.

    The other scam was one where they want you to buy a bunch of equipment for which they say they'll send you a check - but it bounces. In the process, they have your banking info, and you're up to your nose in debt.

  50. Joanne Rosen

    My husband and I almost got scammed by a fake employer in Italy. They were hiring ESL teachers. We applied and were supposed to have a Skype interview. He was "having issues" on his end for video so it was just audio. Two days later, we got an offer. However, to ensure that they wouldn't do all the paperwork for a visa and then we didn't follow through, they wanted us to send $250 US via Western Union. Hmmm . . . red flags. We asked if we could send it any other way. No. They also wanted copies of our passports.

    We realized it was a scam after we started doing more research, reached out to the actual school, and found out these people were doing it a lot.

    One woman on an ESL forum actually sent that money and then had to send money for her plane ticket (which would be reimbursed with her first paycheck).

    It was a huge lesson for us.

    Due diligence . . . check the website, check for the person on LinkedIn, etc.

    Glad you didn't get scammed!

  51. Kristen C.

    UGHHHHHH this is sooo annoying. I remember the worst days when a company would call you, get you all excited only to find out it was a group interview for a telemarketing position.. That was the scams of the early 2000s lol.

  52. Kari Parker

    I fell for the "sales" position that turned out to be a group interview to sell knock-off perfume door to door. So annoying.

  53. Carolyn Hipkins

    Unfortunately you have to be on the lookout for thieves and bad actors.

  54. Shelby C

    I am so sorry. What is terrible is that when you are actually attempting to hire someone and they have been scammed so many times that they don't believe you. I can't tell you how many times I had potential employees call me a scammer and scream at me when I called them about a job we were hiring them for. :(

    I have gotten a lot of those scammers as well. The email header's a/o address itself is always funny and they rarely want to talk - just chat.

    They also typically dangle huge salaries in front of you like a carrot. It would be more effective if they asked what you were expecting and added to it or looked up the median income. They usually don't even know what I do. I get there are only 80 "me's" in the world, but if you are attempting to hire someone, wouldn't you read the job description prior to reaching out so you can ask about my professional certifications and experience? I haven't ever been contacted by one of the over thirty companies I have worked with and they have said, "Can you explain your job?" in an email, but these guys do.

    The "best" I ever ran across told me she is deaf. No problems. My best friend from childhood and my husband are, so she said that she could only talk to me through a TTY, but we couldn't text which I thought was odd. She started making such crazy claims that the Operator began laughing at her. I asked the Operator to stop typing because this was my question for her, so I asked her if she thought it was a scam and she said it looked that way. I asked her to reconnect with me and gave her a half truth about why I was quitting in a couple of weeks.

    This is the great part, then like an idiot, she sends me a fake cashier's check through USPS to be a Mystery Shopper at my bank. Why would you go someplace they know you? They don't. It usually takes up to five days for the cashier's checks to be denied once it is found fraudulent and then they come after me for the money?

    She included specific instructions on what to say, how I would be reimbursed after I sent her MY money?!? Alas, I dig some digging and found out she can hear which made me a little angry and lives out of state which made me very happy. She had crossed stated lines and sent something through the mail instead of FedEx or UPS because I am smarter than her. I told them they didn't deliver where I am because it is too rural (I was in Dallas then). I conned the con and she took the bait because she was desperate for a score.

    I turned her in to every alpha bet soup (e.g., FBI, FTC, Postmaster General) under the sun that she had broken a law or regulation under. Several months later, I received a "victim's letter" of some sort from the feds telling me she was incarcerated and everything she had been convicted of. I am supposed to get another one telling me when she is released which should be soon.

    The irony of it all is that I am an expert in identity theft, but she almost got me. Once you think you are immune and no one will ever be able to fool you, you have placed yourself in more danger.

  55. Sandra Langston

    I am so sorry. I have lost count of the scams I've experienced since trying to return to work after Covid. If people press my to download an off the wall app, want all kinds of personal information up front, or have a "foreign" name (sorry), I stop. It continually becomes so stressful and frustrating to have to go through this, you just give up, or I do, and move on sometimes jus half way finishing your application. Again, so very sorry you are going through this.

  56. Tammy Bullock Rutherford

    I almost fell for one a few months ago, he had me until he asked me for my social security number. I immediately hung up on him.

  57. Anonymous

    I had almost the same thing happen - the scammer pretended to be with a legit Japanese company that was opening a branch in the US and needed an HR Manager (must have found my resume somewhere). Went through the interview, got the job offer, they sent me all the hiring forms. Then I asked to speak to the US Operations head - crickets. So I called the Chamber of Commerce in the town in TX (I'm in WA) they said their new plant was. They'd never heard of this company. It was SO good, they nearly had me. Super frustrating - what if I'd given notice at my current job? I'd have had my identity stolen AND been unemployed!!! These people are truly horrible.

  58. Erin Roberson

    You really dodged a bullet. Were there any red flags in the interview? I am curious how they conducted it—by zoom? Did you see their faces?

  59. Anonymous

    The interviewer said he was in Japan, so the interview was over Skype chat - that was a bit of a red flag, but not totally (I actually have a friend who's daughter LIVES in Japan and she also checked and confirmed the company was legit), so I went with it. Only after I received the offer and tried to do some due diligence did the real red flags start waving.

  60. Erin Roberson

    You did great with your research. It’s a shame jobseekers have to work so hard to protect themselves.

  61. Shaman

    The first time, I had a voice mail from an "assistant" asking me to set up a telegram contact. That was the first flag. Luckily, the process included 3 separate contacts, allowing me the time to investigate.

    The second one was short and sweet. Contact via LinkedIn, my refusal to provide PII, end of contact. Then, the whole conversation was deleted, as was the job vacancy.

  62. Shaman

    The first time, I had a voice mail from an "assistant" asking me to set up a telegram contact. That was the first flag. Luckily, the process included 3 separate contacts, allowing me the time to investigate.

    The second one was short and sweet. Contact via LinkedIn, my refusal to provide PII, end of contact. Then, the whole conversation was deleted, as was the job vacancy.

  63. Titra G Hamilton

    Wow, I had no idea that scams occurred for while searching for jobs. Thanks for posting this warning.

  64. Ann B.

    Thank you so much for sharing your experience with scammers. I had no idea this kind of thing was happening! I'll definitely be on the lookout from now on!

  65. LaDonna D Gardner

    I feel like nothing and or no one can be trusted anymore. There is corruption around evry corner. I thought the cyber word was to add so much our lives now anymore it seems it's just another screen to crawl thru so they can get to you.

  66. Anonymous

    I know how you feel. It happened to me twice. I did my research and didn’t fall for it. The company they were saying they were from I called and explained the situation, and they said it wasn’t them. When they called back I told I contact the company and that this is scam. They hung up and me and discounted there phone. It seems like it is happening more and more.

  67. Shels

    Last year, I had recruiters contacting me from all over the US! Some were from California (I live in Indiana). All were wanting to place me at a "contract" job in a nearby town. I had already applied for that position through a recruiter closer to home....in my own state, and was NEVER contacted by this company. I talked with this recruiter a couple months later and told him a lot of recruiters were trying to "place" me in this same spot. I told him I had pretty much decided the whole thing was a scam. I drove past the place. (Even the "business" website gave the address I went past.) The only place in that area was a closed-gated road. Hmmm. That recruiter said they had pretty much figured out that IF that company had actual openings, they were using recruiters to get candidates, then not using the recruiters. I told him I felt it was a flat out scam.....and yet, a year later, I get a recruiter from the west coast all excited to place me in the same job. Blech. It's bad enough having to jump through hoops to get a job, but to have to wade through the muck of scammers takes it to a whole different level....not good at all.

  68. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist

    Where a recruiter is located has nothing to do with anything.

    I have worked on national searches for over 20 years.

  69. Deborah Mitchell

    In my profession recruiters are very often not local, and very often multiple agencies will be trying to fill the same role.
    It's not a scam, and in fact when the employer has openings I often get pinged. I have a skill set the employer often needs and recruiters find me on linked in so hit me up.

  70. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist

    All big giant red flags. Good for you for recognizing them.

    When that spidey sense is tingling, pay attention!

  71. Rosa Goes

    Well done. Personal identifiable information before an interview is suspect. Even when submitting an application, I always put "furnished upon..." to those items.

  72. منة الله مراد

    Well done on protecting yourself and good luck on your job search

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