With Job Scams on the Rise, IdentityHawk Offers Identity Protection Tips in Honor of Labor Day

The workplace is the new minefield for identity theft to both job seekers and current employees. With unemployment at 9.1 percent as of July 2011, many scammers are placing ads for jobs that don’t exist to coerce job searchers to provide personal and even financial information under the guises of getting a great job. According to an August 2011 SmartMoney blog: many scammers are finding it easier to take advantage of job-seekers desperate for work. In fact, according to the Identity Theft Resource Center there are many fake job postings that can be found on public job postings sites like Craigslist.com and Monster.com. So, IdentityHawkSM is providing five red flags in employer communication and five steps to take before applying for a job in honor of Labor Day.

While bogus employers may appear authentic, even using corporate logos in their communications to convince applicants of their legitimacy, there are five red flags in employer communications to watch for when applying to any online job offer.

Five Red Flags in Employer Communications

   1. Email or online requests for personal information, including bank account numbers, credit card numbers, Social Security numbers (SSN) or your driver’s license. Some employers may request SSNs, but before you disclose it - make sure you know you are giving it to a legitimate source. No job offers should be contingent upon your accepting direct deposit for your paychecks (unless you’re applying for a U.S. government job). Be especially wary about agreeing to direct deposit of your paychecks with work-at-home or telecommuting jobs with unfamiliar employers.
   2. An “employer” email that includes Yahoo, AOL or MSN in the address. While these providers offer free email accounts, a legitimate company would not often use one of these services. If a prospective employer does use a free email address, ask them to send you an official email from the company email account as verification.
   3. A job offer made by a company you didn’t contact and which hasn’t interviewed you.
   4. A request for an advance payment for a visa, work permit or for any other reason. Many scammers offer jobs in Nigeria, the Middle East and Asia. Misspellings and poor grammar in job ads could be a tip-off of an overseas scam by someone for whom English is a second language.
   5. Requests for other personal information such as age, height, weight and marital status, which violate U.S. labor laws.

Plus, follow these five steps in contacting a prospective employer:

Five Steps to Take Before Applying for a Job

   1. Email - the company to get information about the job. But do not provide any personal information to them upfront.
   2. Phone - speak to an official at the company and ask about the job. Be assured that it is legitimate.
   3. Meet - at the company site to assure it is a real company. If you cannot meet, and the company is in your town, drive by to see the facility. If you have an interview with the company, make certain it is on-site.
   4. Verify - see if you can find a person who has worked at the company or call a Chamber of Commerce of Better Business Bureau to assure the legitimacy of the company. Search online for legitimate information about the company, search online for any complaints of non-legitimacy.
   5. Apply - once you are assured the company is legitimate, it is safe to apply; but you should still not supply highly personal information like bank accounts until you are officially hired.

“Unfortunately, job seekers must be vigilant and be assured that a company is real before applying," said Jeff Paradise, executive director at IdentityHawk. "We suggest that job seekers use the IdentityHawk tips above as a roadmap for safely applying for a job. In fact, if an employer asks unnecessary personal information at the outset of a job application -- don’t just walk away - run! Don’t let your eagerness for a job make you vulnerable to those who would prey on unsuspecting job-seekers.”

Featured

  • New Report Reveals Top Trends Transforming Access Controller Technology

    Mercury Security, a provider in access control hardware and open platform solutions, has published its Trends in Access Controllers Report, based on a survey of over 450 security professionals across North America and Europe. The findings highlight the controller’s vital role in a physical access control system (PACS), where the device not only enforces access policies but also connects with readers to verify user credentials—ranging from ID badges to biometrics and mobile identities. With 72% of respondents identifying the controller as a critical or important factor in PACS design, the report underscores how the choice of controller platform has become a strategic decision for today’s security leaders. Read Now

  • Overwhelming Majority of CISOs Anticipate Surge in Cyber Attacks Over the Next Three Years

    An overwhelming 98% of chief information security officers (CISOs) expect a surge in cyber attacks over the next three years as organizations face an increasingly complex and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven digital threat landscape. This is according to new research conducted among 300 CISOs, chief information officers (CIOs), and senior IT professionals by CSC1, the leading provider of enterprise-class domain and domain name system (DNS) security. Read Now

  • ASIS International Introduces New ANSI-Approved Investigations Standard

    • Guard Services
  • Cloud Security Alliance Brings AI-Assisted Auditing to Cloud Computing

    The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), the world’s leading organization dedicated to defining standards, certifications, and best practices to help ensure a secure cloud computing environment, today introduced an innovative addition to its suite of Security, Trust, Assurance and Risk (STAR) Registry assessments with the launch of Valid-AI-ted, an AI-powered, automated validation system. The new tool provides an automated quality check of assurance information of STAR Level 1 self-assessments using state-of-the-art LLM technology. Read Now

  • Report: Nearly 1 in 5 Healthcare Leaders Say Cyberattacks Have Impacted Patient Care

    Omega Systems, a provider of managed IT and security services, today released new research that reveals the growing impact of cybersecurity challenges on leading healthcare organizations and patient safety. According to the 2025 Healthcare IT Landscape Report, 19% of healthcare leaders say a cyberattack has already disrupted patient care, and more than half (52%) believe a fatal cyber-related incident is inevitable within the next five years. Read Now

New Products

  • ResponderLink

    ResponderLink

    Shooter Detection Systems (SDS), an Alarm.com company and a global leader in gunshot detection solutions, has introduced ResponderLink, a groundbreaking new 911 notification service for gunshot events. ResponderLink completes the circle from detection to 911 notification to first responder awareness, giving law enforcement enhanced situational intelligence they urgently need to save lives. Integrating SDS’s proven gunshot detection system with Noonlight’s SendPolice platform, ResponderLink is the first solution to automatically deliver real-time gunshot detection data to 911 call centers and first responders. When shots are detected, the 911 dispatching center, also known as the Public Safety Answering Point or PSAP, is contacted based on the gunfire location, enabling faster initiation of life-saving emergency protocols.

  • Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

    Connect ONE®

    Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

  • QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    The latest Qualcomm® Vision Intelligence Platform offers next-generation smart camera IoT solutions to improve safety and security across enterprises, cities and spaces. The Vision Intelligence Platform was expanded in March 2022 with the introduction of the QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC), which delivers superior artificial intelligence (AI) inferencing at the edge.