Employment Scams:

International Staffing Consultants, Inc. is pleased to provide the following information about employment scams:

 

Tips To Remember:  Be very skeptical of overseas employment opportunities that sound "too good to be true."

  • Never give money to anyone to find you a job
  • Never pay for or advance travel or other interview or relocation expenses.
  • A legitimate firm will not make you buy your own airline tickets!
  • Never send cash in the mail, and be extremely cautious with firms that require a money order, certified checks or any request for a payment to them! This could also indicate that the firm is attempting to avoid a traceable record of its transactions.
  • Do not be fooled by official-sounding names. Many scam artists operate under names that sound like those of long-standing, reputable firms.
  • Avoid working with firms that require payment in advance.
  • Do not give your credit card or bank account number to anyone before you are employed!
  • Read the contract very carefully. Have an attorney look over any documents you are asked to sign.
  • Beware of an agency that is unwilling to give you a written contract. In fact, be cautious when dealing with any employment agency or hiring company that asks you for a fee!
  • Do not hesitate to ask questions. You have a right to know what services to expect and the costs involved.
  • Do not make a hasty decision. Instead, take time to weigh all the pros and cons of the situation. Be wary of demands that "you must act now."
  • If you do send money, keep a copy of all agreements you sign, as well as copies of checks you forward to the company.

Additional Sources on Scams

1)     From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Employment_scams

Employment scams, also known as job scams, are a form of advance fee fraud scamming where certain unscrupulous persons posing as recruiters and/or employers offer attractive employment opportunities which require the job seeker to pay them money in advance, usually under the guise of work visas, travel expenses, and out-of-pocket expenses.

The scams typically involve lucrative offers of employment in Europe, the Middle East, West Africa, or South Africa with money demanded to be paid to an agency or travel agent for visas or travel costs. These companies often present themselves with official looking websites and documentation. Once the victim has paid the advanced fees for employment, the business either declines employment or ceases operating as soon as the transfer is finalized.

This type of scam has become more and more frequent recently due to the popularity of Nigerian 419 scams, and growing suspicion towards e-mails offering to transfer money from bank accounts, especially those originating in Africa. Unlike 419 scams, job scams tend to mostly target persons looking for employment in other nations such as hopeful immigrants or contractors and operate out of nations with high immigrant and foreign employment rates.

It is advisable to be wary of any job offerings which arrive in e-mail unsolicited and eventually require anyone to pay a fee in advance, particularly if the fee is asked to be paid through a financial services company such as Western Union, or if one must pay the amount to a bank or person in a third country (especially a West African nation) that is suspiciously unrelated to either party. Most reputable companies and/or agencies will absorb these costs themselves if they are the ones seeking the employee.

2)     For comprehensive information about scams of all types we recommend a visit to http://www.quatloos.com/ which is a public educational website covering a wide variety of financial scams and frauds, including wacky “prime bank” frauds, exotic foreign currency scams, offshore investment frauds, tax scams, “Pure Trust” structures and more.

 

3)     Expat Engineer also offers a comprehensive exposure of several employment scams at http://www.expatengineer.net/

 

International Staffing Consultants Inc. is an employer-paid search firm founded in 1979 and specializing in staffing overseas and international jobs.  We never charge fees of any kind to candidates.

 

 

 

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