How to Protect Yourself: Job Listing and Job Search Firms

People out of work and wanting a job can become desperate, making them ripe targets for scammers. There are the 900 and 800 telephone number scams. Be wary of them. Some companies that list jobs might ask you to call a 900-phone number. Such numbers can cost you as much as $10 to $18 a call and often provide no useful information.

Be Wary of the Classified Ad with an 800 Number for Foreign Jobs

Be careful of the job search firm that has a classified advertisement for a job abroad and tells you to call an 800 number to get additional information. When you call the number, a salesperson answers with all the particulars on available jobs, their salaries and benefits. You should know that:

  • An employment agency cannot guarantee you a job
  • If the agency goes into such specifics, the job is likely to be nonexistent

Pay Attention to Your Instincts

For example, you see an advertisement for an overseas construction job. They promise you something that sounds too good to be true: an unrealistically high salary and false- sounding benefits like paid housing, complete insurance coverage and relocation expenses. Ask yourself if their offer is plausible.

Carefully Read an Employment Firm's Contract

Don't be taken in by a slick salesman who tells you the contract is "just boilerplate," or "that's standard for all our contracts," or, "you don't need to read all that, just sign here." The contract is written on behalf of the company doing the hiring, not on your behalf. If you change your mind after you've paid the job search firm, look over the contract carefully to know your cancellation rights.

Be Aware Of Charges Before You Commit

  • Know what the 900 phone number charges are before you call. If a company is authentic, they will tell you the cost up front.
  • Be suspicious of a company asking for payment before finding you work, especially if they ask you to pay with a money order or cashier's check. Often, it's the company that hires you that pays all of part of the fee

Do Your Homework

Learn about the company by contacting the Attorney General's Office or local consumer complaint agencies to find out if there are criticisms or legal actions against the company. Don't use the word of Chambers of Commerce or other business groups where any company can become a member by simply paying a fee.

For questions, contact McBride, Scicchitano & Leacox, P.A..

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