By Susan P. Joyce
The management of one of Job-Hunt’s Sponsors informed us of a new fake job scam – the International Mailing Service Supervisor job posting.
The scammers are after Social Security Numbers, as usual, as well as other personal information, although this time through the job seeker’s driver’s license.
Since we spoke with this sponsor, we’ve been informed that other major job sites have experienced this same scam, and have done what our sponsor did — removed the fake posting.
However, watch out! Variations on this theme will probably appear everywhere. If you have been taken in by this, or a similar scam, contact the job site immediately with as many details as possible and also, in the U.S., file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission online, or call 1-877-FTC-HELP.
This Scam:
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A legitimate-appearing job description is posted on a job site.
These days, the good job sites screen job postings to be sure that the jobs are real.
Unfortunately, no screening process is perfect.
This posting certainly appeared to be the posting for a real job, and it probably was copied from a real job description posted somewhere.
There’s even a link to the Arkansas Better Business Bureau profile of a company with a confusingly similar name (just one letter off). So, the job board accepted the “job” posting.
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One of the job requirements is driving a car or truck to make deliveries.
The second of the 7 “functions” of this job includes this statement – “Pick up and deliver materials from post office and service centers, as required.” Assuming that those facilities are not within walking distance of the job site, an employee performing these functions would need a driver’s license.
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Job applicants are asked to fax a copy of their driver’s license to the “employer”as proof of qualification.
Obviously, they hope that your driver’s license uses your Social Security Number. Putting your SSN together with your resume gives them everything they need to steal your identity.
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The SSN and financial records were requested.
Since, in this case, the applicant’s driver’s license did not contain his SSN, the scammers responded with a form requesting other detailed financial information, including the SSN and bank account number. Fortunately, the job seeker became suspicious and contacted the job board before responding to the request.
Read the Job Scam Sniff Test and 9 Characteristics of Scam Jobs so you can spot job scams more easily. The scammers learn new tricks all the time, so keep your guard up.
Bottom Line on Asking for a Drivers License
You need to be a savvy consumer of job search site services to protect yourself, and, unfortunately, you need always to be on your guard against scams. Even the best job sites, run by very conscientious people, can be fooled – at least once – by a sophisticated scammer.
For More Information:
- Job-Hunt’s Guide to Avoiding Scam Jobs and Job Scams
- The World Privacy Forum
About the author…
Online job search expert Susan P. Joyce has been observing the online job search world and teaching online job search skills since 1995. A veteran of the United States Marine Corps and a recent Visiting Scholar at the MIT Sloan School of Management, Susan is a two-time layoff “graduate” who has worked in human resources at Harvard University and in a compensation consulting firm. Since 1998, Susan has been editor and publisher of Job-Hunt.org. Follow Susan on Twitter at @jobhuntorg and on Facebook, LinkedIn.
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