GDS Investigates Job Scams

Job scams have been around for decades, but are rampant today due largely to poor economic conditions. Many innocent people fall victim to job scams and in their efforts to make money, they often lose a portion of what money they do have. When searching for work, how can you spot a real opportunity and know that it isn't a hoax?

Why are there so many job scams both online and off today? Unscrupulous people realize that many people are desperate to find work, and they take advantage of that fact. In addition, even individuals who are intelligent and possess a good amount of common sense are more vulnerable during hard times. They are desperate, and all of those "too good to be true" offers sound even more enticing.

According to CNN, individuals who can least afford to part with their money are often the one's who become victims of job scams. Most often, the victims are women between the ages of 18 and 49 who have children to support and only a high school education. How can you avoid being taken in by any of the thousands of job scams that are so prevalent today?

1. Don't fall for those emails promising riches if you just "click here". People you do not know are not going to email you with a legitimate job offer. By clicking on a link in an email from someone you do not know, you could be putting yourself at risk for identity theft or putting the health of your computer at risk.

2. Never pay for employment. The internet is the basis for more job scams than ever before; there are all sorts of "work from home" schemes that claim that you can make thousands per day - but there is usually a cost. Don't fall for it.

3. Ignore all of the "beautiful riches" you see online. Even when you are searching for something else online, there are plenty of banners that claim you can "make money while you sleep" or become a millionaire in days. Fancy cars, mansions, exotic destinations - these things can all be yours in a short time if you just join the program and follow instruction. Run, do not walk, from these types of job scams.

4. Do your due diligence and perform a little research. Whether you get an email in your inbox or find a company in your search for work, do some research so that you have a better idea of whether or not it is legitimate. With most job scams, you won't find the company listed with the Better Business Bureau. Find out if anyone else is actually employed by the company through forums or message boards; you can learn a lot about the company's reputation, if indeed they do even have a company.

5. Use your common sense. The old adage "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is" holds true in this case. There are far more job scams on the internet than there are actual jobs. Look at the contact email address of the company; if it is a free email account such as Yahoo or Gmail, use caution. Most legitimate companies have their own private email address.

Today, job scams can lead to not only the loss of a bit of your money, they can even lead to identity theft or fraud. Put the tips above to work in your search for employment, and avoid job scams.

Click here to check out other GDS International scam articles.

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