How tech-savvy millennials can avoid falling for job scams? Details

A job scam is often an email or phone call from a scammer who pretends to be a potential employer. They are often disguised as recruiters for legitimate companies and organisations. They use the offer of a job to get access to your personal information. Online employment portals are a common place for scammers to look for victims. 

Modus Operandi by scammers

Fraudsters often pose as job consultants, set up fake websites, and temporary ‘offices’, and ask candidates to deposit registration fees. Job seekers search many job sites while pretending to be independent employment advisors in order to gain access to their databases. Then they send out mailers in bulk, and even if they manage to con the job searchers.  A security deposit, interview fee, or other fees are frequently requested over email as a condition of setting up an interview. Then the scammers just disappear with the money in hand, while others may even perform a brief online or telephone interview. "The other type of job scam involves sending the victim a well-written offer letter. Due to their ignorance and desperation, the victim is unable to recognize the letter’s phoney facts and succumbs to the con artist’s demands,"  Raj Das, Global Co-Founder and CEO of Hirect India, said

Data Around Fraud

According to Das, millennials are often considered internet literate and tech-savvy. 

"We presume that they are fully versed in the nuances of the digital world. But the research done by Hirect revealed that the young and the tech-savvy people are the ones who are more prone to scams as compared to the older generation and the survey conducted by Hirect has revealed that around 56% of the people reported job scams during their job hunt process. The HR industry is vulnerable and most job seekers face scams and fraudulent job offers. The millennials aged between 20-29 are the most exposed to job scams as revealed by the study. The reason could be that traits unique to the millennial generation have made it much more likely for them to fall victim to certain types of scams. In particular, the fact that millennials are too trusting and carefree enough while searching for jobs online. They are often lured by fake ads that promise high salaries and other perks, but in reality, they end up losing their money or getting scammed," he added.

 
How can one avoid this trap? 

Job scams are one of the most widespread types of Internet fraud, and are a regular aspect of conducting a job search. A checklist one should adhere to make sure their hiring procedure is error-free can be going to authentic or official websites. So, instead of responding to suspicious emails, visit the company's employment page and submit your application there. Never pay for securing a job, no employer ever requests payment from a job applicant during any step of the recruiting process. One can validate by calling firms. Verify the existence of the individual who mailed you and whether the company has an opening for the position or job you applied for. Platforms like Hirect are eliminating consultants from the hiring process thus making it quick and risk-free. Implementation of new aged technologies like AI and ML can also help to eliminate job scams from the hiring process.