Signs of a Job Scam

• The company contacts you via non-company email domains or teleconference applications.
• The job posting requires no experience and offers unreasonably high compensation. 
• Interviews are not conducted in-person or through a secure video call, or the interviewer is unwilling to turn on their webcam.
• The company asks you to pay upfront for equipment and/or background checks (most companies will not require you to pay anything to go through the interview process).
• The company gives you a check upfront (even if you’re promised a signing bonus, those are typically paid on your first paycheck through the company’s payroll system).
• The company asks you to provide sensitive information via a .pdf or unsecure platform (if you fill out personal information, do your research to make sure the platform is legitimate). 
• The company requests credit card information.
• The company sends any type of form asking you to email personally identifiable information (PII, or banking information) prior to a formal job offer. Nearly all reputable companies will have you upload this information directly into their HRIS system.
• The job posting appears on a job board, but not on the company’s website.
• Recruiters or managers do not have profiles with the company on LinkedIn, or their profiles do not match their job titles or functions. 
• The company reaches out to you after normal business hours (anything before 8am or after 8pm is unreasonable).

Make sure you do your research. Taking a few extra minutes to look up an HR system or payroll platform can help you avoid making a big mistake. Make sure the person you’re communicating with has an email address that matches the company’s URL (i.e. john.doe@business.com vs. john.doe@recruiting-business.net) Trust your gut; if something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t. And always make sure you see a real person, even on a video call, before agreeing to anything.