18 Signs It's a Job Scam

In line with my previous post about my 3 most memorable Craigslist scandals, today I want to discuss one of the most frustrating elements of seeking employment: job scams. Thanks @WickedThrifty for the reminder-- Craigslist is full of these scams, especially in Marketing/PR. This may come as no surprise because of Craigslist's equivocal nature, but false jobs appear on nearly every job opportunity website.

I, having fallen for most of them at some point, consider myself an expert on sifting through these lies. If anyone reading this is currently seeking employment, it would behoove you to note the following warning signs before you end up spending a full day doing door-to-door sales, giving out your banking information or getting talked into a pyramid scheme. Always check out the company on RipOffReport.com, Snopes.com, and/or bbb.org.

1. THE AD IS POSTED IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS and/or has an abundance of exclamation points.
2. It is a Sports Marketing Agency.
3. Be wary of "opportunities for advancement."
4. "Entry Level" is in the name of the ad.
5. "No experience necessary!" is written anywhere.
6. It does not list requirements beyond phases like "sense of humor, good work ethic, willing to learn, self-motivated"
7. There is ANY mention of Fortune 500 companies.
8. The salary range varies wildly (i.e. 10K-200K)
9. Spelling errors.
10. The post exudes a sense of urgency to IMMEDIATELY fill the position.
11. A company describes their strategy as "Multi-Level Marketing. This is code for pyramid scheme.
12. The contact email address is @hotmail.com

If there is a website...
13. The mission statement is filled with generic business jargon.
14. The images are cheesy stock photos.
15. It has music.
16. It does not list clients.
17. There is no contact information.
18. The company does not have its own domain.

My final piece of advice: use common sense. A company requesting an interview once sent me the following email:

"[Our address is] 43XX ‘G’ Street, the zip is 19124. It is a small nondescript office building with a large warehouse attached to it, enclosed by a metal gate. There may be a large truck on the side parked there as well that you can look for."

And you know what? I don't regret canceling that interview.