Although staff at the Alumni Career Center monitors employer jobs posted on our job board, Hire UI Alumni, our actions are not fool proof. Our vendor, Nacelink Symplicity, has provided a list of “red flags” that can alert you to a fraudulent job posting on job boards …

1. A credit card, bank account numbers, or other personal financial documentation is requested.
2. The posting appears to be from a reputable, familiar company (often a Fortune 500). Yet, the domain in the contact's email address does not match the domain used by representatives of the company. This is typically easy to determine from the company's website or it can be validated by checking the open positions on the company's website.
3. The contact email address contains the domain @live.com.
4. The position requires an initial investment, such as a payment by wire service or courier.
5. The posting includes many spelling and grammatical errors.
6. The position initially appears as a traditional job...upon further research, it sounds more like an independent contractor opportunity.
7. A large payment or reward is offered in exchange for allowing the use of your bank account (often for depositing checks or transferring money).
8. Applicant receives an unexpectedly large check (checks are typically slightly less than $500, generally sent or deposited on Fridays).
9. Applicant is asked to provide a photo of themself.
10. The position is for any of the following: Envelope Stuffers, Home-based Assembly Jobs, Online Surveys.
11. The the description focuses on the amount of money to be made and neglects to mention what the responsibilities of the job actually are.
12. The employer responds to you immediately after you submit your resume. Typically, resumes sent to an employer are reviewed by multiple individuals, or not viewed until the posting has closed. Note - this does not include an auto-response you may receive from the employer once you have sent your resume.
13. The position indicates a "first year compensation" that is in high excess to the average compensation for that position type.
14. Look at the company's website. Does it have an index that tells you what the site is about; or does it contain information only about the job you are interested in? Scammers often create quick, basic web pages that seem legit at first glance.
15. Watch for anonymity. If it is difficult to find an address, actual contact, company name, etc. - this is cause to proceed with caution. Fraud postings are illegal, so scammers will try to keep themselves well-hidden.
16. The salary range listed is very wide (i.e. "employees can earn from $40K - $80K the first year!")
17. Google the company name and the word "scam" (i.e. Acme Company Scam), the results show several scam reports concerning this company. Another source for scam reports is: http://www.ripoffreport.com.
18. Google the employer's phone number, fax number and/or email address. If it does not appear connected to an actual business organization, this is a red flag. The Symplicity team often uses the Better Business Bureau (http://www.bbb.org/us/consumers/), Hoovers (http://www.hoovers.com/) and AT&T's Anywho (http://www.anywho.com/) to verify organizations.
19. The employer contacts you by phone, however there is no way to call them back. The number is not available.
20. The employer tells you that they do not have an office set-up in your area, and will need you to help them get it up and running (these postings often include a request for your banking information, supposedly to help the employer make transactions).

Please help us keep Hire UI Alumni safe, if you happen to come across a fraudulent job on Hire UI Alumni please contact the staff at careers@uillinois.edu.  Additionally, if you feel you may have already been scammed in a job ad, Nacelink Symplicity’s blog at, http://www.symplicity.com/blog/_1/17/fraud_posting_tips provides suggestions on what to do.