CERT NZ is urging job seekers to be cautious when
applying for new employment following a raft of online
recruitment scams.
The organisation has received a
number of reports about fake job advertisements posted on
recruitment sites and copycat employer websites, in which
online scammers attempt to trick job hunters into sharing
personal information.
CERT NZ has recently seen
examples of scammers posing as an employer, advising
applicants that the role requires a high level of security
clearance and they need to complete an attached Police Check
form. In doing so, applicants unwittingly give the scammer a
significant amount of personal information including their
address, passport details, and employment
history.
Once a scammer has obtained an individual’s
personal information they can use it to conduct a range of
criminal activities, including online fraud. This can have
very serious repercussions for the affected person including
financial loss or a negative impact on their credit rating,
which can, in turn, prevent them from buying a house or
applying for a credit card.
In these instances CERT NZ
– the government agency which supports organisations and
individuals affected by cyber security incidents – works
with the affected employer or job website and the relevant
email domain provider to quickly remove the job
advertisement from the internet and close the scammer’s
email address.
“Employment scams are nothing new.
However, it seems that cyber attackers are taking advantage
of the current employment situation resulting from
Covid-19,” says CERT NZ Director, Rob
Pope.
“Generally, we receive about one report of
fake job ads a fortnight, but we recently had six reports in
an hour, which is very concerning.
“Looking for work
can be a very stressful at the best of times, and these
types of scams can add additional pressure to the job
seeking process. One good rule of thumb is that if it looks
too good to be true, it probably is.
“At first
glance, it might be hard to detect if a job ad is genuine or
not, but once you know what to look for you can avoid the
pitfalls. That’s why we’ve compiled some handy hints to
help job seekers and legitimate recruiters.”
CERT
NZ’s six steps to safe job hunting online
are:
1. Pay attention to the
URL
Scammers create websites with addresses that
mimic those of large brands or companies, such as “big-business.com” as
opposed to “bigbusiness.com”. They
anticipate that people will skim over the address and domain
name. Most browsers allow you to quickly verify links by
hovering over them before you click. Shortened URLs (like bit.ly) or links redirecting you
somewhere else are indications that the website may be fake.
Also, keep a weather eye out for subdomains on a link. When
in doubt, verify an organisation’s webpage and navigate
your way to the job ad from there. Or, get in touch with the
organisation to find out how you can apply.
2. Check
the company’s online presence
Most recruitment
agencies and organisations will post their vacancies to
several job boards to reach as many people as possible. If
you can only find the job on a single board, then it may be
suspect. Contact the organisation directly to find out if
the job is real. If the company has no online presence,
that’s a warning sign.
3. Cross-reference
the contact details
Check that the recruiter’s
email matches the company’s domain name – that is, that
the email ends in the official company name. Some scam
emails may look like they have come from a real company,
such as jobs@example-test.com,
when the real company email is jobs@exampletest.com.
Always check. You can paste the email into the search bar
and type in ‘scam’ to see if anyone else has reported
it. Emails from a personal account, rather than an
organisation’s email address, are also a red
flag.
4. Be wary of interviews via messaging
services
It is becoming more common for job
interviews to take place over the phone or via video calls.
However, you should be wary if your first interview is on an
instant messenger service. Find out more about the company
and the person you are speaking to. If you do agree to the
interview, don’t share personal information such as your
bank details.
5. Reach out to
employers
Some fake websites act as a funnel,
posting real positions from genuine recruitment sites as a
way to get people’s personal information. If you see a job
on a recruitment website you’re not familiar with reach
out to the employer to check and ask for the legitimate
channels for applying.
6. You didn’t contact
them; they contacted you
Take a cautious
approach if an employer contacts you from out of the blue,
especially if they offer you a job straight away or request
to interview you. Also, keep an eye out for lots of
grammatical errors and spelling mistakes as these can be an
indication of a fake job.
If you, or someone you know,
has been affected by a fake recruitment scam, the best thing
to do is to seek help. People can report confidentially to
CERT NZ to get help to recover, either at www.cert.govt.nz or by
calling 0800 CERT NZ (0800 2378
69).
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