JOB SEEKERS APPLY WITH CAUTION: SPIKE IN JOB SCAMS AND IDENTITY FRAUD

Online Job Portal, Jobs.co.za warns Job Seekers to watch out for scammers when looking for jobs during this peak job hunting season - whether on the internet or in print.

With our high unemployment rate, fraudsters are increasingly targeting South African job seekers who are desperate to find employment. Job scams are especially prevalent in the New Year when many new, job seekers enter the market looking for new opportunities and careers. As scam artists are opportunistic, they craft their attacks around what is typically known to be a peak job hunting season. Unfortunately, in their desperate attempt to find a job, vulnerable job seekers offer up personal, yet irrelevant information to fraudsters posing as hiring companies or recruiters.

Jobs.co.za feels that job advertising platforms have a duty towards making job seekers aware of the potential risks in the employment market. However, as vigilant as any job advertising medium can be, scam artists are becoming smarter at knowing how to avoid detection; and therefore job seekers should become more informed in knowing how to evade being scammed.

The most typical strategy used by fraudsters is to trap job seekers by posting job advertisements on websites or in the newspaper requesting CV's to be sent. These fraudsters use brands of well known job websites in their correspondence with job seekers, thereby making the applicant think that the job offer is from a legitimate source linked to the targeted jobs website. Some use well known companies brand's as a front, while they pretend to be hiring for the established organisation.

The company then sends an email back to the applicant posing as the company's HR manager or recruiter, suggesting that the candidate has either been short-listed or successful in their application. Job seekers are then informed that to continue with the recruitment process the company requires personal or banking information - or even money - to be submitted to them. Sometimes scammers direct applicants to a website via a hyperlink in an email requesting them to submit personal information of this nature. This information is then used to scam the applicant out of money or to steal the applicant's identity.

'The latest scam under investigation by our company involves an international airline brand which is being used to advertise vacancies for cabin crew across various job portals and online classified websites. When the job seeker applies for the position they are informed that they have been selected for the position, but that they should submit copies of their passports to be submitted to their appointed travel agency who will process the candidate's working visa, but that the candidate would be liable for half of the payment of their working visas. In all communications, the advertiser has used the branding of legitimate job portals and companies in order to pose as a genuine opportunity.' Says Gillian Meier, CEO of Jobs.co.za.

Jobs.co.za suggests that job seekers apply extra caution when applying to jobs that have been advertised on free job listing or classified sites, as it is often easier for fraudsters to advertise their scam jobs on these platforms as there is seldom a validation or moderation process in place. Job applicants should check out the companies before submitting any personal or banking details to recruiters. It is normal that some companies may request identification numbers up-front; however there is no reason for a company to be asking for money and/or banking information as part of the application process. In any event, regardless of where the job is being advertised, if a job seeker is informed that they have been successful in their application without having undergone any prior screening or interview process, then it is highly likely that the position is not real. In addition, if anyone ever asks a job seeker to send them money when applying for a job for any reason, be careful.

Should you have any questions or concerns about any job advertised on Jobs.co.za, please contact us on 0861 5627 10 or email us at enquiries@jobs.co.za for guidance.

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