Finding a Job on Craigslist – How to Avoid Scams

Are you looking for a new job? Whether you want to change career paths or were the victim of a layoff, Craigslist.org is a valuable research tool. This online classified website has thousands of jobs listings, many of which you may be the perfect candidate for. Unfortunately, with the internet comes online job scams. You can find some of these scams on Craigslist, but there are steps you can take to avoid them.

Know what type of Craigslist job scams to be on the lookout for. In terms of jobs, most of the scams focus on acquiring your personal information or obtaining money from you. This money often comes in the form of a “required,” upfront fee. Always remember that you should be paid to work, not the other way around. If a background check or training material is required for employment, the employer should be responsible for all necessary fees, not you. As for your personal information, never divulge your bank account information or social security number until you have had a job interview and are hired.

Always use your best judgment. If looking for a local job, scams will be easy to spot. You are familiar with local companies. If looking to relocate for a new job or if searching for a work-at-home job, use your best judgment. An opportunity that sounds too good to be true, likely is. Say you worked as a full-time secretary and earned $35,000 a year. Be cautious of job listings that claim you can work in the same position, performing the same tasks, but make $100,000 a year. Something doesn’t sound right and you may later find yourself right in the middle of a job scam. Before handing over personal information, always research.

Search other cities on Craigslist to look for the same job listings. Be cautious with this approach. It is okay to see a job listing for a full-time secretary in California appear in San Francisco and Los Angeles. The company is likely targeting all qualified California residents. However, be cautious of the same job listing if it appears in St. Louis. Unless the listing specifically states the job requires relocation, you may be looking at a job scam. Searching multiple cities typically involves visiting each city site and performing different searches each time; however, you can download the free Craigslist Reader to search multiple cities at once.

Job scams appear all over internet. They are even on the popular Craigslist.org website. Luckily, you can use the above mentioned steps to avoid these scams and find a legitimate, good paying job.