Keeping Kids Safe from Recruitment Scams
More than half of all workers worldwide are actively searching for another job or watching for openings. Are you one of them? Although it can be an exciting time to find a new career or income stream, the job search process can be very stressful, time-consuming and possibly full of disappointment. Scammers are taking advantage of these confusing feelings and are continuously creating recruitment scams. Unfortunately, they aren’t just targeting adults.
If you have children, they may be looking for their first ideal job, especially with summer approaching. In 2023, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the youth labor force grew by 2.2 million (10.4%) over the previous year with a labor force participation rate for all youth being 60.2% in July, 2023. The number of individuals in the youth labor force, defined as 16-24 year olds, who are actively looking for work grows sharply between April and July each year when large numbers of high school and college students search for summer jobs and many graduates enter the labor market for permanent employment. LEARN MORE
As with all scams, the best weapon against recruitment scams is awareness and education. Scammers advertise jobs the same way honest employers do: online on job boards, social media, ads, radio and TV. Teens and adults are being targeted with work-from-home scams that include reshipping and/or reselling merchandise, mystery shopping and being a nanny. Adult caregiver and personal virtual assistant job scams are plentiful as well.
If you or a loved one is job searching, the Federal Trade Commission suggests to start with reliable resources:
– Search online for the name of the company or person who’s trying to hire you with the words “scam” “review” or “complaint.”
– Talk to someone you trust. Describe the offer and ask for their opinion.
– Never pay for the promise of a job. Honest placement firms do not typically charge a fee to job candidates. It is the hiring company that pays them a fee to find qualified candidates.
– USAJobs.gov is the federal government’s official site with job openings nationwide.
– CareerOneStop is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor and lists hundreds of thousands of jobs and links to employment and training programs in each state.
– USA.gov is a website that finds local government websites which lists any open positions they may have.
Recruitment scams are now a global concern that span across all industries. Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) has been targeted by scammers and has repeatedly been the victim of recruitment scams. The only official and legitimate domain for KIND is @supportkind.org. If you receive any communication concerning employment opportunities with the organization but it comes from an email domain other than @supportkind.org, the communication is not authorized by the KIND organization. LEARN MORE
Guard Well Identity Theft Solutions exists to provide you, your family, and your employees from the damages of identity theft. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact our Member Services team immediately. We are always available for you 24/7/365 at 888.966.4827 (GUARD).
Image courtesy credit: Brooke Cagle via unsplash.
