What Jobs Are Real.

If they get your unwitting cooperation in a crime, participation in a felony that could land you in jail. Not trivial.

5 Major Types of Job Search Scams

The scammers are endlessly creative, so this is not everything, by any means. 

But these are the major scams I've discovered.

1.  E-mailed Job Offer Supposedly from an Employer, Recruiter, or Job Board.

Maybe the email claims they found your resume on Monster or CareerBuilder or their company website, etc.

The message says they think you are the perfect candidate for this new opportunity.

You might not remember ever applying (and, if it's a scam, you likely didn't). You may not remember seeing the employer's name before. Or, perhaps the employer name is a famous one you would love to work for.

And, they are very interested in hiring you -- immediately!

All you need to do to is send them personal information for a pre-employment credit check, complete your application, or give them the information they need to complete the process so they can bring you on board as a new employee.

They want you to give them sensitive information like a copy of your driver's license (which tells them your birthdate), your Social Security Number (to complete the paperwork to hire you), and/or your bank account number (for depositing those never-received paychecks)..

2. Fake Jobs on Social Media

This is the newest venue for job scams, and no social network is imune or perfectly safe. Be cautious of jobs and recruiters you find on social media.

Fake Facebook pages exist with many "opportunities" shared and promoted. Bogus jobs may also be posted on legitimate Facebook pages, too.

3. Fake Jobs Apparently from Legitimate Employers

The job posting or the website claim to be a real employer, perhaps from a well-known company like Google or Apple or often from less well-known names. But, although the employer name is legitimate, the jobs are NOT legitimate because they not actually from that employer.

In this scam, the real employer doesn't have anything to do with the posting. This scam abuses a legitimate employer's identity.

4. Bogus Jobs on Legitimate Job Boards

The job board may be a well-known brand name like Indeed, Monster, CareerBuilder, Craigslist, or your favorite professional association's "career center." But, while the job board is legitimate, the job may be a scam.

Frankly, I wouldn't trust all of the jobs posted on any website completely, with the exception of USAJOBS.gov, and then I'd double-check to be sure that I was truly viewing a page of USAJOBS.gov by checking the URL in my browser.

5.  Fake Job Boards, Fake Employer Websites, and Fake Recruiter Websites

These can be hard to spot. The website may look very professional, but their only goal is to collect as much personal information from you as possible. The websites looks great, but the employer or job board don't really exist. Fake jobs are posted for job seekers to apply for.

Usually they require your personal information, particularly your Social Security Number for "pre-screening." They usually also need your personal bank account number so they can begin depositing your paychecks (because they are ready to hire you immediately).

The fake job boards usually require you to "register" before you can see the job postings, but they may allow you to select the "job" you want first and then collect your information. There may -- or may not -- be any jobs (bogus or legitimate) posted on these sites.