In a recent report, the CEO of Jobberman Ghana, Mr. Babajide Otoki, cautioned jobseekers to be wary of recruitment scams when surfing the internet for job opportunities this year.
This brings to mind the growing challenges that is faced by the youth who desire to have a good job but fall prey to unscrupulous scammers who lurk on the internet to take advantage of these youth.
This happens to be the time, where some unscrupulous individuals and recruitment scammers also try to take advantage of job seekers.
Around this time of the year, earnest graduates and jobseekers looking to make an honest living are often preyed upon by sophisticated scammers luring them in with ‘easy job’ offers.
We would caution that job seekers must be careful not to let their desire to be employed cloud good caution and judgment, when browsing or applying for job opportunities.
In fact, job seekers must be extra cautious and look out for job ads which have generic titles, as those jobs often do not require special training or licensing because most of these jobs do not often require any training, they appeal to a wide range of applicants, who fall prey in their quest to find something doing rather than staying unemployed.
One of the signals we must look out for is that any job, which demands that applicants should share their personal information or hand over money could be a scam.
No job seeker should be made to pay money for applying a job or to facilitate the process for them to be interviewed for a job, this is absolutely unacceptable and a plan used by scammers to deceive job seekers.
To prevent being deceived, first check out any job offer carefully. Don’t be taken in by wild claims or glowing testimonials. Type the company name plus ‘scam’ into an internet search engine. You may find reports from people who have been targeted by the same scam.
Secondly, be suspicious of online ads promoting the opportunity to work from home or offering fanciful remuneration packages – many of them are scams.
Also, do not pay money for job applications or for being shortlisted for a job vacancy and never use your bank account to transfer money to someone you don’t know.
Make sure you check the business website to make sure a job opening is posted there. If you’re still not sure, call the business to check on the position.
Another thing we must be mindful of is that we must always confirm the name of the company that has invited you for an Interview. Confirm that the venue of the interview indicated is the same as the hiring company or recruiting agency’s official address.
Our security is first of all our responsibility so be very cautious of any job that asks you to share personal information. Often scam artistes will ask for credit/debit card and bank account details. Providing your personal details exposes you to identity theft; as the “employer” can then use your information to perpetuate other crimes.
