Looking for a Job Online?

There are certain safety measures that you should take when looking for a job online. Although the Internet has given us a lot of new opportunities, it also has given us a lot of scammers. Therefore, it is crucial for a job-seeker to exercise caution and common sense. Here are the tips that you should follow.

Online Job Search Tips: Taking Safety Measures

In case when a job ad looks too good to be true, or you have a gut feeling that something is not right, better refuse applying to this position or proceed with great attentiveness. Don’t ever get involved in money scams that send you a fake check and require from you further actions in a bank (like wire transfers). Before you apply to the position that you’re interested in, research the company by reviewing its website and social media accounts. Also make a google search including company name followed by words like “scam”, “fraud”, “reviews” etc.

Something’s Wrong if:

• You receive a “job” without an interview
• Job ad and correspondence with employer includes misspellings and grammatical errors
• Employer wants you to be his or her assistant and tells you that they’re traveling internationally
• You are asked to give your PayPal, bank or credit card account numbers or to send a wire transfer payment
• You are asked to provide your personal data (like Social Security Number) before you are even considered as a candidate for the job
• You are asked to send a photo copy of your documents in order to "verify” your identity
• You are offered high fees for the usage of your bank account
• You are asked to transfer money via Western Union, e-Bay or PayPal
• Employer promises you a lot of money for little amount of work
• Job ad focuses on the amount of money that you can receive rather than on job responsibilities
• Prospective job requires upfront fees

Other Helpful Tips:

• Administrative Assistants, Bookkeepers and Mystery Shoppers with high remuneration are usually scam offers
• See if the URL in the job ad follows to the internet domain of the firm that listed it. For instance, if the URL has a link http://superjob.com (example), but when you click on it, you are redirected to another URL, it may be a scam.
• In case you use services like GauchoLink, study their privacy policies very carefully.

Follow these Internet safety tips and you online job hunting will be secure!