Have you heard about Marlissa’s story?
Marlissa is a Filipino freelancer who was searching for a job online. She came across a company called Silverlight-Mall which offered her a job to help Amazon sellers increase their product sales and improve their product score rankings. The online job required her to purchase the products herself and send them to the sellers, after which the company promised to return the amount spent by Marlissa along with a commission and bonus.
Unfortunately, after Marlissa had already invested $430 for the online orders, she was informed that she needed to pay an additional $200 to withdraw the commission and get her money back.
This is just one example of how job scams can victimise Filipino freelancers.
So how can you detect a fake job posting? Here are some ways to identify them.
Unrealistic job requirements or salary offers
If you’re job hunting and you come across an entry-level position that promises to pay you $1000 for only 20 hours of work per week, be careful. That might be a sign that it’s not a legit online job.
Most legitimate employers would rather spend their money on something more sustainable, like a monthly subscription or the services of an expert.
Requests for personal information or payments to secure the job
No job offer should ask you for any payment.
Of course, you may have some expenses related to your job search, like transportation or professional attire, but paying for an opportunity to work is definitely an online job scam to watch out for.
Poorly written job description or email messages with typos, grammatical errors or mismatching formatting and branding
Have you ever received an email or job listing with a bunch of typos, grammatical errors, and weird formatting? This is evidence it could be a fake job offer.
Scammers often use unprofessional communication tactics like this to try to lure in unsuspecting victims. They might even be overly aggressive or formal in their emails or messages, which is another sign that something’s not right.
Vague or generic job titles, lacking company name or contact information
Legitimate job postings usually provide lots of detail about the position, the company, and even the salary in some cases. So if a job listing seems too easy or doesn’t have a lot of information, it’s probably best to steer clear of this potential online job scam.
Job ads asking you to contact via Telegram or Whatsapp
Has anyone ever asked you to download a messaging app like Telegram or Whatsapp for a job interview after responding to a job ad?
Be careful when responding to job ads on Telegram and Whatsapp as there has been a rise in job scams on the platform. Scammers are posing as legitimate employers and asking job seekers to share personal information or even make payments.
Be Vigilant.
In this digital age, it’s important to be vigilant and avoid falling prey to scammers. To stay safe, take a little time to research the company, be observant, and learn about common job scam tactics.
Remember, we all want to find a good job and make a living, so don’t let job scams take advantage of you because they smell desperation.
