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Is this a red flag???

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Thalia Moshos

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Is this a red flag???

I applied for a sales assistant position about 2 weeks ago. The hiring manager contacted me saying she would like to set up a phone interview. However, when I looked up the address, a different business name popped up or a different address. Also it doesn't mention which floor they are on. I messaged back saying where exactly are they located because I cannot find them on Google maps. She didn't answer my question, but she asked when I'm available for a phone call. I told her I'm available on the 16th during my lunch hour. She messages me the next day on the 17th saying that she has a meeting booked and if Monday the 21st works. I said sure and I'm available at the same time. I'm not sure if this is a scam or a red flag. I'm going to do the phone interview and ask again where exactly they are located. If I can't get a straight answer, then I'll have to withdraw my application. This is very frustrating, because I have been looking for another job for 2 years.

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  1. Anonymous

    No red flags yet. Many companies have several different names they use and several addresses they occupy so that's not at all an issue by itself.

  2. Alexis Gladstone

    It's good that you're going in ready to get to the bottom of this.

    It could be some type of shared office space that lists the primary tenant or they recently moved and Google hasn't caught up yet.

    Good luck with the interview!

  3. Melissa Mellor, COO

    It could be - or not. I would go into the phone interview with an open mind and my intuition turned on. Hear them out - but feel free to withdraw if things feel off.

  4. Madam anon663

    A phone interview is only the first step, worry about who they are and where they are if you get an offer.

  5. Patti

    Can you look them up on GlassDoor or Indeed? I completely understand the concern. I would go into the phone interview (if you are interested). Did they offer you a website to learn more about the company? If not, I would ask them about that as well.

  6. Anonymous

    Not a red flag yet. You're not being invited to the office. You've been asked for a phone call. They may be working from a temporary or shared space. Or working remotely right now. First things first, do the phone interview and see if you're a match with the role. Then you can sort out where they are.

  7. Kelley

    I would go in with an open mind and see whether you move on to next rounds before worrying too much. It could be that they occupy the same building as other companies and the primary company or owner of the building is who is popping up. If things still feel off after the phone interview and your gut is telling you something isn’t right, that’s when I would say to possibly withdraw the application.

  8. Jahna

    It’s possible it’s a mail to location and they don’t actually work out of it. I wouldn’t let it detract you from interviewing. Weirdly, so many sales jobs are scammy. I’ve been looking to expand my sales team and hiring sales people is very hard and my business is very legit and not scammy at all. But I think people being overly nervous of scammy sales jobs makes the hiring process harder.

  9. Vikas Verma

    Proper case of incomplete communication.

  10. Anonymous

    I agree with everyone else, not a red flag yet. I work for a company with a mail address in a major city, the enterprise HQ is in another location, and we all work from home around the US.

  11. Karen Gongaware

    Don't give out SS# or drivers license or anything that could be used in a scam. If legit, will have you meet with HR and then fill out paperwork, after being offered the job.

  12. Doris Appelbaum

    fill out paperwork, after being offered the job.

  13. Shelby C

    It is not uncommon for this to occur; however, it is unlikely that she would not offer an explanation. I have worked with too many companies to count that are "hidden" in play site because they don't want to attract any attention - positive or negative. They usually meet at another location (e.g. hotel conference room, Starbucks) and sometimes they will "trade" conference rooms.

    With that said, do not give them your SSN until you have been hired. Stay alert and Google the business name with the following words behind it:

    • Scam
    • Employment scam
    • Employee scam
    • Employee lawsuit
    • Work conditions

    Best of luck!

  14. Helen

    Can you drive by or walk past the business address that you have?
    I did this once when I wasn’t sure and it turned out they had recently relocated to the address and so while it didn’t yet register with Google, they were listed on the building’s floor plan near the lifts. Speak to the concierge too. Always a good source of information!

  15. samantha levy

    Apologies everyone. I sadly do not agree. If this person is avoiding answer your question - that is a HUGE red flag. Let's just say, even if their company had the team work as a 'satellite' office therefore work from home or work out of a 'wework' office space - they'd still explain the situation in response to your question. The big thing is - FOLLOW YOUR GUT. If you have a weird feeling about this situation - listen to your self. Tends to be aligned with some truth. Unfortunately there are bad people are out there and during these times, there are people taking advantage of the situation right now. We all just need to be careful and cautious. Good luck and keep us posted!

  16. Anonymous

    I agree with everything you've said accept the apology you started your post with.
    Never apologize for having a well thought out response to something. You have done nothing wrong and it diminishes your voice.

  17. Anonymous

    It's not an apology. It's an exaggerate expression. It's as literal as "I'm dying laughing" or "they are butthurt". It doesn't mean anything more than to say you feel strongly about something. Please stop telling women how they should speak or telling them they are doing it wrong. She's doing it just fine.

  18. Anonymous

    Agreed. There's a certain irony to "you've done nothing wrong except how you said it". It just places more emphasis on the way a woman says something is more important than the content of what she's saying. That's exactly the behavior we're trying to stop.

  19. Anonymous

    seems like 6 people agreed with me though so the snarky sarcasm you are ascribing to it was not what came over the screen. What works in conversation does not always translate well over text.

  20. Ruth Sathre

    Yes, there are red flags everywhere.

  21. GirlBossanova934974

    There is no red flag here. We operate a small business. If the address does not line up with a specific business, that means ZERO! Why? Google and the other directory services do NOT automatically update business name/address when a business relocates or closes. The new business has to work with Google and the other directory companies to change the listing. That can weeks or months. We have changed addresses in the last 3 years and we had to change DOZENS of listings. This process took months. Several directories were real pains and took several tries. So.....

  22. Lynda Booth

    Everyone will have an opinion about whether it is a red flag or not. The most important thing is how YOU feel about it. If it does not feel right after your phone interview, then decline. Keep your chin up. The right opportunity will come your way.

  23. Paula Olson

    Yes, there are many types of legitimate businesses with numerous locations, staff working from home, and so forth. The issue I find with this is that a legitimate company would have answered her questions regarding where they are located.

  24. Thalia Moshos

    Exactly. I got no response. Also, they wanted to reschedule my phone interview twice. I blocked her.

  25. Barbara Scionti Kuehnle

    You can look up any business on the Secretary of State website for the state this is located. This is public information. See if this business is registered . If not registered I would think twice .

  26. Thalia Moshos

    Thanks! I had no idea you could do that. I will definitely do this in the future.

  27. Anonymous

    I work at a place that purposely hides its office location on its website for a valid reason. I guess it depends on what type of place it is and whether or not it makes sense for them to potentially hide where they are. If it seems like it should be obvious that is indeed sketchy.

  28. Doris Appelbaum

    Do not apply if you do not get straight answers. Yes, this is a red flag.

  29. Christi Miller

    I think it's more of a red flag that you can't get a straight answer to a straight forward question. If the recruiter is pushy to get an interview then it may be another red flag. I had a recruiter like that and it turned out the business was a sham. Beware and follow your gut.

  30. Anonymous

    Yes these are all red flags but I’d say they can’t be confirmed unless you have the phone call. The call will answer all your questions ultimately.

  31. C Allen

    RUNNNNNNNNNNNNN!

  32. Lesa Goodman

    It could be a "dba" (does business as) company name, so not necessarily a red flag.

  33. Thalia Moshos

    Nope. That was the only name they had.

  34. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist

    I would say do the phone interview but drill down on everything and anything.

  35. Anonymous

    You can fully vet the company during your phone interview. The initial call or 2 is primarily to ask questions, gain information and a sense if whether you think it's a fit and worth moving forward with.

  36. Liese' Cooper

    Lol

  37. Amy Edmonds

    Why do you care about the address in a possibly outdated website when you're doing a phone interview?

  38. Anonymous

    It seems the applicant would get a straight answer saying that with the address!

  39. Anonymous

    The fact that she didn’t get a response to the question is a red flag.

  40. Lisa

    If it's a legitimate company, the website would not under any circumstances be out of date. Especially for a company that is involved in sales.

    Additionally many companies have different divisions. You May have applied via corporate and the job is for one of their subdivisions.

    In this particular case something smells bad..

  41. Thalia Moshos

    A lot of sales jobs unfortunately turn out to be scams.

  42. Thalia Moshos

    Because if they want me to come in, I need to know where it is. I don't want to walk around like a moron trying to find the place.

  43. Anonymous

    I got ghosted many time should be special hell.

  44. Crystal Rhineberger

    Doesn’t sound very realistic to me

  45. Jennifer

    Definitely a scam.

  46. Carolyn Hipkins

    Blocking her was a good move.

  47. Vesela Krasteva

    Don't waste your time. Seems like a scam.

  48. Robyn McCabria Kelso

    sure seems fishy to me....

  49. Debbie Fischer

    This is definitely a scam.....blocking them was the right thing to do

  50. MidwestMaven456

    RUN, do not walk, away from this. They then get your full resume, all of your personal information and a full credit check and all that entails if you continue. See the scam now?

  51. Marguerite

    Looks like a spam. I receive emails, text and sometimes phone calls from recruiters or companies with the same thing. I always will response with what is the salary and is it full time. If I do not hear back they go into my blocked numbers, or spam folder.

    My time is valuable and I don't have time for scammers.

    Best of luck on finding a new job!

  52. Anonymous

    Definetly a scam.

  53. Sabrina Cortes

    Yep, a scam and I'm so glad that you trusted your instincts! It's really sad that we have to stay so vigilant about these things, but it's good that you saw it for what it was.

  54. Thalia Moshos

    I'm currently a receptionist and have been looking for a higher paying job for 2 years now. It's ridiculous.

  55. Sabrina Cortes

    Yep, it sure is!

    When I was looking for an admin job, oh probably 6 years ago now, I fell into a scam and thank goodness my bank realized what it was because I had NO idea that people would scam you like that.

    The scam was that this business person was relocating to my area and needed help setting up the new office. She even gave me the address of the apartment she was going to be renting and everything. Then, she proceeded to tell me that she'd fwd me money to move her things, etc. Well, I said ok, and she sent the check (a little less than $3000) and I took it to my bank. The teller asked me about it and brought in the manager and they researched the check and it wasn't even an account with the bank listed on the check!!

    I had NO idea that this kind of deception went on - but I tell ya what - I learned super fast and I can usually spot a scam (the romance ones too) a mile away.

    It really is a sad state of affairs.

  56. Thalia Moshos

    Potential employers dont usually send money.

  57. Sabrina Cortes

    I had no idea, but I know much better now!

  58. Annie Nawal

    I must agree with the majority. Go with your gut. Even if they are legitimate, who wants to work with someone that cancels twice and can’t get their act together.

  59. Derrick Julia Jessica Nodsle

    Way to go on scrutinizing the details! And also, a good reminder for me and others.

  60. Anonymous

    Help me understand this - why would an interview be a scam? What's in it for them when all of your information is already readily available on LinkedIn?

  61. Marguerite

    Because on LinkedIn people troll for information, and might not be a real person. They could just be looking to get more of your personal information.

    It is better to proactive to vet someone and make sure they are who they say they are.

  62. Thalia Moshos

    Also, when I asked where they are located, they didn't answer.

  63. Thalia Moshos

    Oh trust me, there are plenty of jobs that turn out to be scams. It's infuriating.

  64. Anonymous

    Oh trust me there are actually ‘scammers’ who pull this off then there is what companies do nowadays known as ‘mental catfish’. They make you believe that you’re a potential candidate, you’ll even go as far in the hiring process until the offer stage just to be told a bullshit excuse, all just for probing the market. This happened to me 3 times last year, until I was enlightened.

  65. Anonymous

    I am confused to your comment on "mental catfish." Why they would spend a lot of time and energy (and $$) recruiting you (especially past an initial call) if it was a fake job?
    Probing the market? What does that mean?

  66. Regina Brown

    It's online, with LinkedIN. What money has been spent? What better way to get information than a potential job? It is quite common and millions of dollars have been fraudulently...https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/elpaso/news/press-releases/fbi-warns-cyber-criminals-are-using-fake-job-listings-to-target-applicants-personally-identifiable-information#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20FBI's%20Internet,reported%20%244.5%20million%20in%20losses.

  67. Anonymous

    Do your research.
    You’ll get to know way more ? It’s called diversity clout to pass audit processes and culture checks. It’s common now. I’m talking as someone who sat on both sides of the fence.

  68. Carolyn Hipkins

    It can be a way to get something from you that they shouldn't have. Examples, more of your personal information (bank account numbers, SSN) or a way to get money from you (money for equipment, some sort of fee, etc.) There are a lot of employment scams out there.

  69. Anonymous

    Sounds very flighty. I would have done the same thing.

  70. Anonymous

    Definitely sounds like a scam. At the very least, not very promising. If a legitimate company has a legitimate opening/need, there would be more professionalism and urgency to scheduling an interview. This "hiring manager" should be willing and eager to answer questions to "sell" the role and keep you as a candidate.

    It's time to start looking elsewhere. Keep your chin up, something will come along.

  71. Thalia Moshos

    I've been looking for 2 years...I can't anymore lol. But I will keep at it.

  72. Sabine Kamisli

    well done, sounds very unprofessional.

  73. Anonymous

    Good for you! My husband was contacted for a Google Hangout Interview that seemed legit at the time and later turned into a phising scam. There are plenty of other opportunities including remote. Best wishes.

  74. Thalia Moshos

    I get those from time to time. It's annoying. I would love to find a remote job that pays well...or hybrid even.

  75. Tina Marie G.

    The company I work for sends emails often about scams and provides advice on how to protect yourself and the company. It will get worse due to what is happening in Ukraine and Russia. I have gotten fake texts about jobs too when I was applying for positions .

  76. Anonymous

    I would try to keep applying for other opportunities. It sounds like phising and a scam.

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