How to avoid falling into the fake job email trap

Remember Akshay Kumar’s  starrer Special 26? The real story on which this film was based, goes something like this. A person under the name of Mohan Singh placed a classified advertisement in the March 17 issue of The Times of India, asking for "Dynamic Graduates for Intelligence Officers Post and Security Officers Post".

 

It was a fake job ad, which drew in a number of applicants and together with these unsuspecting  candidates, the man managed pull a spectacular robbery at  the Tribhovandas Bhimji Zaveri jewellers’ Opera House store, Mumbai. Mohan Singh is yet to be caught and 26 people had unwittingly assisted in this crime.

 

Cybercrime is a growing issue of concern and many job applicants have been at the receiving end of some job scam or the other. On a daily basis you may receive emails like this:

 

 

Now if you don’t want to face a fate like that of the Special 26, then here’s what you need to keep in mind when applying for jobs or answering to job interviews of HR emails giving you a job.

 

1. Read the offer document carefully and you will see a lot of information will be missing from it, such as some of them may just ask you to send in your resume to an email address and once you do, they carry on the conversation. There will be no description of the company or mention of the job details, they will be sketchy at best.

 

2. Pay attention, no job/company will ask you to pay money to them for hiring you and you also do not need to make any transfers, however nominal, to secure an interview or a seat with companies like Facebook, Google, Oracle, Intel, Tata Motors or even some Dubai-based firms. Another warning sign, is if a recruiter offers to train you for the job, in return for money. That is a strict no-no.

 

BEWARE OF EMAILS LIKE THIS:

 

 

3. These fraudulent emails will contain a whole list of job vacancies from a plumber to CEO. Steer clear of emails like this.

 

4. You can also easily identify if these are scam mails because most  email operators like Google, Yahoo or whichever client you use, dumps these kind of mails in the bulk/junk folder because these are sent out as batches to a whole lot of people.

 

5. Email address from where the mail will usually have gmail.com, or yahoo.com attached to them or even addresses like  xxxxxxxx@abc.com?. Legitimate job related emails will come from corporate email accounts. But be sure to do some research on the company. Visit the company’s website and crosscheck the emails and contact addresses.

 

 

6. The email may also contain messages like this "After depositing the money, please respond back to this email with your ideal interview date/time. Remember, you need your deposited account info prior to your interview, as we will be processing your payment information at that time."

 

 7. Fake job calls generally would have numerous incorrect spellings and grammatical errors.

 

 8. The job email will ask you to complete a job application online. The link takes you to a website where you are to fill out all info needed to steal your identity. The email might also adopt an official tone saying  that only if complete the application then only the call for interview will come.

 

 

9. Job offers without interviews. No company will offer you a job without an interview or vetting of any kind, however accomplished you may be.

 

10. Receiving offers for jobs from top companies without even applying for them. Yes, you may feel flattered for a second but be sure they are fake.  

 

The consequences of answering to such fraudulent emails can be negative, especially on your finances. Any personal information you give to such scammers can include identity theft, charges to your credit card, stealing of money and false hopes of a job in a multi-national company.