How to avoid recruitment scams in 2022

2021 proved to be a fantastic year for job hunters looking for a new career, with similar results to be expected for 2022. For many, recruitment job board websites have been a great place to start.

This makes it more important than ever to be aware that not every job listing is what it seems. Recruitment websites rarely carry out the proper validation to confirm that the people posting on their platform, are who they say they are. This makes possible for cybercriminals to post fake jobs on live recruitment websites. 

These jobs may even appear to be listed by a legitimate organisation. However, you could be directed to contact a malicious email address or phone number or taken to a fake website. This type of scam can be used to steal personally identifiable information, much of which is already free to view in just in a job application. 

Alternatively, some cybercriminals may try to almost immediately steal money from applicants, using fake agencies and hidden fees, for services such as having to ‘relocate’ for a new role. At the end of the process, not only will applicants discover that the agency was fake, but so was their job.

When visiting recruitment websites, you should therefore be careful to look out for any tells such as grammatical errors, unusual language, and style inconsistencies in job posts. If the job positing appears to be from a real organisation, compare it with other job posts from the same company. If there are inconsistencies between posts, this may be a red flag for a fake job ad.

Where possible, you should also avoid applying for a job within a recruitment websites’ platform and look up the organisation’s official website and careers page, where you can find any official job listings. If you are expected to relocate for a new job and recommended a particular agency for this purpose, you should also be suspicious. Always carry out the proper research to confirm that any companies or agencies are legitimate, before giving them any personal information.

If you are currently looking for a new role in the world of workplace compliance, have a look at our website vacancies page here. If you find a career that might suit you and are looking to join a friendly and collaborative team, we would love to hear from you. You can find out more about what it is like to be a part of the Assurity Consulting Team on our careers benefits page here.