Job Scam Alert- My experience with a scammer last evening

[Teddy B 17,252]

If none of the other red flags in the op were enough to prove it was a scam, $30 an hour plus benefits for a data entry position should have been.

[MiniKoala 13]

They ARE exploiting you. A good response might be, "If you respect my skills this highly, pay me accordingly for this project, and let's get going with it."

Yes, I agree that in the cases were I was asked to work for a full week without getting paid (UNLESS they decide to hire me), it was blatant exploitation and I don't regret ignoring those offers.

But with a lot of online marketing jobs, for which I was in the running, I was also asked to do things like look at their website and social media and come up with ideas for improvements. In that case I was never quite sure. In one instance I made it to a final round interview but lost out against a candidate who had better ideas -- I was holding back because I didn't want to reveal all my ideas during the interview! I follow the company on social media, and they definitely hired the other person. In another case I was asked whether I had looked at the company's social media and where I saw room for improvement before I even got any details about the position. I politely told the interviewer that I didn't think I wanted to proceed with the interview process

I'm sure these more subtle instances of data and idea hoarding happen more often than we think. There also seem to be millions of pseudo-positions on reputable job boards like LinkedIn, where companies are not actually trying to fill a position -- they just want to gather as much data as possible.

It's sad because it makes the whole job seeking process even more stressful than it already is. We spend hours and hours filling out online applications, researching companies, arranging phone calls, writing cover letters, preparing for interviews, etc. and most of our hard work is just dumped into a black hole and leads to nothing, except for potentially helping those companies with various marketing, money laundering, etc kind of purposes. Very frustrating!

[TBoneTX 45,567]

It's frustrating, certainly, but consider it endemic to our on-line existence. You're unquestionably intelligent and alert enough to see through the phoniness, so avoid taking any of it personally. I recommend that you "damn the torpedoes" and intrepidly forge ahead until things pay off for you.

[Jnin 1]

My husband and I just started our job search before moving in January to the USA. We both set up ours resumes trough Career builder, and we have been getting the same emails as you did. After a while and even some phone calls from companies to which we did not apply or had anything to do with our career , I change the settings of the resumes to be private. Its scary and really upsetting, if its too go to be true, most likely it is not.

[Starletha 11]

I find it quite scary how many scammers there are around on US job boards. Some of them are very obvious, some of them are not obvious at all.

For example, I have been contacted per e-mail by people claiming they had found my resume online and wanted to talk to me about a position I would be a good for when NOTHING on my resume had anything common with their "open position". If you take a very close look at e-mails like that you will usually find something fishy like the company name being misspelled in the e-mail ending or something like that, which is a definite confirmation of it being BS, of course. So those are somewhat obvious. At the same time, though, I have found good jobs with renowned companies through recruiters that reached out to me in a similar way, so I don't want to completely ignore those messages.

I have definitely gotten that invitation for an interview on Yahoo Messenger before, too -- never answered that at all, seemed too weird to me from the start. Good that you reported them.

What bugs me the most, though, are actual companies that exist and do have a few real employees, but their whole way of operating is setting up test phases where you are doing real work for them for no money or very little money. But then they won't actually hire you, they will just let another "candidate" continue the work for them a week later. Whenever a company asks me to complete some sort of work for them during the interview process I get very cautious now (and I have probably missed out on some good job because of that) because I am worried they are just exploiting me!

Unless you are applying for an internship, you should be paid. Even most internships pay a small amount. Never work for "free". SCAM.

Training = working = pay.

[milimelo 4,505]

Let me tell you how to search for jobs - and don't do the craigslist or job boards - I've never done those.

Figure out where you want to work - I wanted a Chicago position and was willing to commute to work. Next, I googled downtown areas and figured out which companies are based there. Then go to those companies' website - google lists them - and search for positions (no middle man, no recruiters). Apply for any and all that fit your background and experience.

I had a first interview in 10 days followed by two in-person interviews in two weeks and started job by the end of second month of search.

For recruitment agencies - one thing I will say is apply but don't get your hopes up. They're there to expand their base of potential workers so it looks good for the client, not there to help you get a job. The only thing they were good for me is the scores on your typical office package exams - typing, word, excel, powerpoint - do those test and keep the score sheets - you can use them on your resume - typing speed of 85 wpm, word X/Y.

[yulisa 9]

Am glad you were able to detect thst it was a scam. They really had one of my friend. They sent her a check through FedEx and she went to the bank to cash it. The teller told her it not a real check but a counterfeit. Lucky she was not arrested cos she told them how she got it. She told us we could not stop laughing. Good for you realizing it.

[Gargalmon22 13]

Omg same thing happened to me today. I gave my home address and phone number will that be a problem? Scared.

[Ketsuban 1,034]

Omg same thing happened to me today. I gave my home address and phone number will that be a problem? Scared.

Not necessarily, I mean people give their addresses and phone numbers all the time on eBay and Craigslist. Just don't communicate with them anymore.

I had a kind of "scam" I suppose. It started with a phone call from this lady with a bit of an accent - she said her manager had read my resume, was totes impressed with it (it wasn't that great, I mean I just do admin) and wanted to do an interview. So I was like ok let's do this.

I didn't really understand any of the job stuff she was telling me, it was intentionally vague and her accent got in the way a bit. The company is called Banker's Life. Sounds kind of financey and banky, right? I decided to go down anyway for the interview because it got me out of the apt and driving quite far (Parma down to Medina!). Got there and it's a friggin seminar being given to equally unimpressed people. Basically to cold call and visit old people to convince them to buy insurance. Banker's Life provide the leads and we sell sell sell! Totally at our own pace but if you don't sell to a million people by Friday you're fired.

I stuck around and listened but when it came to filling out the paperwork, I did the bare minimum, didn't give too much info then told them it wasn't for me and left.

I was annoyed because the phone call and subsequent email I got made it sound like a legit job interview.

I don't remember if we had to pay for the training or not. Probably did.

After that I got a few calls from sales places even though I didn't want sales, so I made my resume private. Got a real job soon after in data entry.

[Gargalmon22 13]

Not necessarily, I mean people give their addresses and phone numbers all the time on eBay and Craigslist. Just don't communicate with them anymore.

I had a kind of "scam" I suppose. It started with a phone call from this lady with a bit of an accent - she said her manager had read my resume, was totes impressed with it (it wasn't that great, I mean I just do admin) and wanted to do an interview. So I was like ok let's do this.

I didn't really understand any of the job stuff she was telling me, it was intentionally vague and her accent got in the way a bit. The company is called Banker's Life. Sounds kind of financey and banky, right? I decided to go down anyway for the interview because it got me out of the apt and driving quite far (Parma down to Medina!). Got there and it's a friggin seminar being given to equally unimpressed people. Basically to cold call and visit old people to convince them to buy insurance. Banker's Life provide the leads and we sell sell sell! Totally at our own pace but if you don't sell to a million people by Friday you're fired.

I stuck around and listened but when it came to filling out the paperwork, I did the bare minimum, didn't give too much info then told them it wasn't for me and left.

I was annoyed because the phone call and subsequent email I got made it sound like a legit job interview.

I don't remember if we had to pay for the training or not. Probably did.

After that I got a few calls from sales places even though I didn't want sales, so I made my resume private. Got a real job soon after in data entry.

WOW this sounds awful. I got a check of almost $50,000 on mail after two days (fedex) and the address was from NYC. The letter was soo weird saying it would be dangerous if i dont deposit in bank and As I should deposit I should keep on emailing on a new address. I found out this site before that so thank god. I flushed the check anyway.

Yes they sound soo good and steal identity of others and other company and contact with theor name that's more annoying. Now it has become so hard to trust anyone telling they will interview unless face to face.

[Roy&Chanel 109]

I gave up glassdoor, I had so many scam calls from them.

I'm using linkedin and indeed now.

[millefleur 5,047]

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