(Hartford, CT)- Attorney General William Tong today urged Connecticut job seekers to remain vigilant against elaborate job recruitment scams.
Cybercriminals are impersonating recruiters from legitimate companies to steal money, personal information, and other sensitive information from job seekers. These scams often appear on popular job search websites, like Indeed and LinkedIn, and on social media. The criminals may identify and target job seekers who have recently posted about the job search, layoffs, or displayed an “open to work” banner on their profiles.
“As graduates begin searching for jobs and launching their careers, scammers are preying on that excitement and luring victims into handing over money and personal information. A legitimate recruiter or employer will never require payment for a job opportunity, ask job seekers to send money for equipment, or ask for sensitive financial information before hiring. Take the time to thoroughly research the job, company, and recruiter,” said Attorney General Tong.
Tips to avoid falling victim to a job recruiter scam:
- Do your research: Look up the name of the company or recruiter and see if others have reported scams. Call the company directly or verify the job posting on the company’s website.
- Get a second opinion: Explain the job offer to someone you trust and see if they notice any issues.
- Don’t hand over money: Recruiters will not ask for payment for a job, training, or equipment. Any request for payment should be considered a red flag.
- Don’t give out personal information: Employers will not ask for sensitive personal or financial information before they hire someone.
- Don’t cash unexpected checks: Scammers often send a check and instruct job seekers to deposit the money, keep some of it, and send the rest elsewhere or purchase gift cards. The check will eventually bounce, and the victim will be left on the hook for the money.
- Report scams to the Connecticut Office of the Attorney General or to the Federal Trade Commission.
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