How to Spot Fake Job Postings on Indeed and Other Job Boards
The pandemic has created many work-from-home job opportunities.
While many of these opportunities are legitimate, some of them are outright scams, targeting poor employees who want a better life.
Unfortunately, fake companies are known for posting scam jobs on Indeed to attract independent contractors.
Knowing how to spot fake job postings on Indeed and other job boards can help protect you from identity theft and other frauds.
Today we’ll share how to spot these work from home job scams and land a legit online job.
And learn different strategies on how to protect yourself so you do not become a victim.
RELATED POSTS:
- 10 Popular Voice Acting Categories
- Make Passive Income with Turnkey Property Investing
- 10 Best Selling Items on Facebook Marketplace
- Mercari vs. Poshmark: Which Is Better for Reselling?
- 25 Best Online Jobs for Pregnant Women
Table of Contents
Signs of Potential Job Posting Scams
Spotting remote job scams is not as hard as you think.
Unless you are dealing with very sophisticated online job scammers, then there are many ways to recognize when the individuals you are dealing with are from legit companies.
Here are a few ways that you can avoid becoming a victim of remote work scam.
The Salary Seems Too Good to Be True
You’re looking around the online job boards and all of a sudden you spot the perfect job for you.
The job description details the skills that you have and the perks seem incredible.
On top of that, the salary they list is more than 30-50% of what you typically see in similar online jobs.
Before you get too excited, make sure you do not ignore that red flag.
Ask yourself, why is this company offering such a high salary?
Is this the typical pay for this line of work?
Is the company legit?
Unfortunately, there are fake companies out there who make it a point to double or even triple their offered salary in order to get the attention of people who desperately need good jobs.
If you think the salary is just too good to be true, then it might be a remote work scam.
If this is the case, do your due diligence. Google who the person you are in contact with to find out if they are really who they say they are.
Look them up on LinkedIn, see if their job position is legit, take a look at their photo and always make sure that the email they use is from the company.
You Can’t Find Enough Company Information
Legitimate companies spend a lot of resources to establish quality sites with enough information about what they do.
Legitimate companies should at least have one working site and some social media presence.
If you’re struggling to find any information about the company, it may be time to skip the job application, as it may be one of the fake job postings on Indeed or online.
Some fake companies also have a primary site set up but don’t offer any information about their track record and what they do, which may be another sign of work from home job scams.
This is another warning sign that you may be dealing with a fake company.
A Second Contact Can’t Confirm the Job Posting
If you are still unsure about the legitimacy of the online job and the individual you are speaking to, a great way to avoid a remote job scam is by contacting someone from the company to confirm that there is an online job available and that the person you are speaking to (hiring manager) is legit.
If the company is legitimate, the second contact should give you some idea about the job, even if they are from another department.
However, these scammers often create fake phone numbers and recruit others to help with the remote job scams, so continue to beware and never give any personal information or money.
The Company is Overly Eager to Have You Onboard
Legitimate companies usually take a bit of time to decide who they want to hire, and it may take a while before they respond to candidates.
This is the norm, and it’s also typical to expect some delays after their initial response.
Fake job offer emails often come in right away because they want to scam you and get either your personal information or money.
If you want to apply for a high-paying role with many responsibilities, you should also expect several interviews.
If you get the position with barely an interview, it’s possible that you’ve found one of the fake job postings on Indeed.
You Are Required to Pay Before Working
If you have to pay before you accept a job position, then this is a huge red flag that you shouldn’t ignore because it may just be one of the fake job postings on Indeed.
Legitimate companies look for employees to pay, and not the other way around.
There is no such thing as giving cash to a company before getting hired.
You are likely getting into a multi-level marketing (MLM), often marketed as an income opportunity or sometimes even regular employment.
MLM is not employment but a voluntary activity where you sell goods while recruiting members for profit.
While some money can be made from MLM, many of these so-called offers are pyramid scams, so beware of this type of fake job postings on Indeed and other job boards.
You Can Barely Read the Job Posting
The best job postings are well-edited, concise, and easy to read.
Fraudulent job posts are often hard to read and will have bad grammatical errors.
The language should be formal and professional, and there shouldn’t be any glaring errors, if at all.
So, make sure that you do not get fooled and do your due diligence first before agreeing or providing any information to the company.
Steps to Avoid Job Posting Scams
Although there are more online job scams out there, don’t be derailed from your online job hunting.
There are still so many amazing jobs out there that are perfect for you.
You, just have to make sure that you are able to detect the red flags and avoid them before they scam you.
Here are a few things that you can do to avoid remote work scam.
Know the General Signs of Potential Scams
If you are supposed to be dealing with a legit company and their email is not a company email, they are most likely scams.
Scammers will often create websites that are similar to the legit companies name, so that they can fool you better.
For example, instead of name@yahoo.com they may create a website called yahoo.jobs.com and use the email for that company to make it look like a real one.
So always research the email and the company before responding.
Secondly, if they can only interview you via a text messaging platform, you may be talking to scammers.
Video conferences are the standard method of interviewing in the pandemic, or at least a telephone call.
Never accept a job that only requires you to send a few emails or text with a so-called hiring manager.
Read the Job Description Closely
The job description is the most critical aspect of any job posting.
Legitimate job offers often come with a list of responsibilities for the position.
The job description also helps people determine if they genuinely want to apply and if they are actually qualified for the job.
Expect a legitimate company to scrutinize your work history and qualifications, mainly if you apply for an important role.
However, if the employer doesn’t seem to care about your past experience, then this may be a red flag.
Ask yourself, why would they hire someone who may not be qualified?
Don’t Be Afraid to Ask Questions
Candidates are expected to ask questions during interviews or even before that.
If you have any concerns with the job offer or even the job description, you have the right to ask questions and receive meaningful answers from the company.
During the interview, ask questions that would allow you to feel comfortable with your application.
By asking these questions, you will be fully equipped with the information you need to make a sound decision and whether to continue pursuing the remote job.
Always Research the Company Beforehand
We mentioned this in passing, but this bears emphasis: if you can’t find sufficient information about the company on your first search, then the job posting is likely fraudulent.
Established and working companies will have a solid online presence.
There are no exceptions here because even mobile burger stands have active Twitter handles. There is no reason for a company not to have a comprehensive website with all the relevant information a job candidate might need.
We love providing our readers information on the best online jobs that they can apply for.
But we also want you to be cautious and do your due diligence so you do not experience online job scams.
However, if you feel like you have been a victim of a remote work scam, then do not hesitate to call the authorities to report the incident.
Remote Resume Guide
Before applying to your ideal online job, make sure to create a remote job resume that will stand out above the rest. If you are unsure how to get started, no worries, we have created a resume guide that will point you in the right direction.
