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I heard of this before but now I have seen it myself
15 years ago
General
So, as many people know, I am looking for a job cause I got laid off. I have seen lots of warnings about some advertisements not being legitimate but I am glad I look carefully before just doing things when applying for jobs. I actually found that I have applied to fake job advertisements that seem to be out there to either collect information or steal people's identity info.
One really obvious one was after I sent a resume in response to a job advertisement, I got an e-mail reply explaining what I would need to do 'next week' and essentially offering me a job but at the end of their message, they asked for a list of things. my name, contact number, e-mail address, mailing address, and age. Now, I know that all but the age are on my resume, so they obviously didn't read what I sent them and they aren't allowed to ask for my age. I didn't reply.
Anyone reading this, please don't worry, I created my resume very carefully for applying for work online. I have not included any phone numbers other than my own, and my references are noted to be provided on request. I am not stupid enough to fill out the full job application w/ SSN online or other private pieces of information. That's a bad idea. Most places will interview you based on an online brief application and/or a resume and will ask you to fill in the full formal job application at their office so that they can have all of your info to check and process.
Another reply I got suspiciously indicated that I was the only suitable candidate and I should reply with the phone number for them to call to schedule an interview, and that I need to bring photo ID, amd a credit repot from withing 7 days to the interview. I have never interviewed anywhere that needed a credit report that you brought with you... they recommended a particular website for obtaining a credit report with a hyperlink that only said 'click here' so I right-clicked and looked at the 'properties' and saw not a web address but a link to a document... collecting info maybe? So, I replied to the e-mail and confirmed my phone number and let them know I would obtain a credit report after the interview was scheduled to ensure that it meets the 7-day requirement. A couple days later, I got a response indicating that they filled the position but that they would love to see me get hired somewhere good so here's a 'click here' hyperlink to a web site to help find jobs.... when I looked at the properties for that hyperlink, the website was literally https://www.fakeurl.com followed by a series of numbers... I worry about people who may fall for these things.
Also, since applying for jobs, my cell phone has started getting telemarketing calls for further education. (yay! wasting my minutes on having to tell people they are wasting my minutes and to remove my number from their call list.) I have also been getting an increased number of 'junk mail' in my e-mail that I use only for professional job search, etc, things. I have also received text messages about 'fill out info on our website to find jobs' and I assume they got my info from an advertisement I applied to.
So, I knew that fake job advertisements existed, but I have now applied to a few. Thankfully, I have been cautious about what information I provide and I check the properties of any link. If the web site seems legitimate by the 'properties' info, I will open a new window and type in the web address rather than using the link.
In general, I find this practice disturbing because I know some people will fall for it. I also find it kind of funny because I catch it when they send e-mails and things don't match up. And, finally, I feel a little disappointed because I know that some of the jobs that I spent time writing letters in reference to were fake and I wasted my time.
The hardest part about looking for employment is that MANY of the advertisements are 'blind' ads that give you a job description but no company name or anything. So, you trust that it's safe to send them a letter and resume. But, then you need to watch out when they contact you back and really look for what's real and what's not.
I think I am going to start focusing my job search on going to web sites of companies I know and applying for jobs listed on their web sites rather than responding to advertisements in newspapers and websites that list such blind job advertisements. I think I would feel more safe and comfortable.
One really obvious one was after I sent a resume in response to a job advertisement, I got an e-mail reply explaining what I would need to do 'next week' and essentially offering me a job but at the end of their message, they asked for a list of things. my name, contact number, e-mail address, mailing address, and age. Now, I know that all but the age are on my resume, so they obviously didn't read what I sent them and they aren't allowed to ask for my age. I didn't reply.
Anyone reading this, please don't worry, I created my resume very carefully for applying for work online. I have not included any phone numbers other than my own, and my references are noted to be provided on request. I am not stupid enough to fill out the full job application w/ SSN online or other private pieces of information. That's a bad idea. Most places will interview you based on an online brief application and/or a resume and will ask you to fill in the full formal job application at their office so that they can have all of your info to check and process.
Another reply I got suspiciously indicated that I was the only suitable candidate and I should reply with the phone number for them to call to schedule an interview, and that I need to bring photo ID, amd a credit repot from withing 7 days to the interview. I have never interviewed anywhere that needed a credit report that you brought with you... they recommended a particular website for obtaining a credit report with a hyperlink that only said 'click here' so I right-clicked and looked at the 'properties' and saw not a web address but a link to a document... collecting info maybe? So, I replied to the e-mail and confirmed my phone number and let them know I would obtain a credit report after the interview was scheduled to ensure that it meets the 7-day requirement. A couple days later, I got a response indicating that they filled the position but that they would love to see me get hired somewhere good so here's a 'click here' hyperlink to a web site to help find jobs.... when I looked at the properties for that hyperlink, the website was literally https://www.fakeurl.com followed by a series of numbers... I worry about people who may fall for these things.
Also, since applying for jobs, my cell phone has started getting telemarketing calls for further education. (yay! wasting my minutes on having to tell people they are wasting my minutes and to remove my number from their call list.) I have also been getting an increased number of 'junk mail' in my e-mail that I use only for professional job search, etc, things. I have also received text messages about 'fill out info on our website to find jobs' and I assume they got my info from an advertisement I applied to.
So, I knew that fake job advertisements existed, but I have now applied to a few. Thankfully, I have been cautious about what information I provide and I check the properties of any link. If the web site seems legitimate by the 'properties' info, I will open a new window and type in the web address rather than using the link.
In general, I find this practice disturbing because I know some people will fall for it. I also find it kind of funny because I catch it when they send e-mails and things don't match up. And, finally, I feel a little disappointed because I know that some of the jobs that I spent time writing letters in reference to were fake and I wasted my time.
The hardest part about looking for employment is that MANY of the advertisements are 'blind' ads that give you a job description but no company name or anything. So, you trust that it's safe to send them a letter and resume. But, then you need to watch out when they contact you back and really look for what's real and what's not.
I think I am going to start focusing my job search on going to web sites of companies I know and applying for jobs listed on their web sites rather than responding to advertisements in newspapers and websites that list such blind job advertisements. I think I would feel more safe and comfortable.
