Online job fraud is continuously increasing around the world. Scammers lure unemployed people with less work and more payment, ultimately resulting in online fraud or cybercrime. According to surfshark, about $737 lost due to online job scams in 2019.
Let’s shed light on one rapidly growing online scam: online job fraud.
In today’s world, everyone aspires to earn a decent living, enjoy a comfortable lifestyle, and support their families through thick and thin. However, with the burgeoning population, legitimate job opportunities are decreasing.
This is why many individuals find themselves grappling with unemployment. Even when jobs are available, their payments often fall short of providing a luxurious life.
This dire situation has led to a surge in online job fraud, victimizing countless people. The allure of easy money and promising job offers often blinds individuals to the red flags of potential scams.
What is Online Job Fraud?
Online job fraud is essentially a deception that occurs in the digital realm. Scammers leverage online platforms to target individuals seeking employment opportunities. Like traditional job scams, fraudulent companies or individuals operating online deceive unsuspecting victims by promising job offers in exchange for money, personal data, or other valuables.
Scammers mainly scam people by scaring or luring them. Sometimes, these online job scams become so dangerous that victims even commit suicide. However, suicide is not a solution to any problem and should be avoided.
Types of Online Job Scams
When it comes to types of online job scams, new variations seem to emerge almost daily. It’s conceivable that new scams could be devised even as we write and publish our blog. Therefore, detecting all forms of online job fraud can be quite difficult.
That said, in our assessment, online job scams generally fall into two main categories
- Before the Job Scam
- After the Job Scam
Before the Job Scams
This type of online job fraud typically involves scammers demanding money from individuals before providing them with a job. These fraudsters may request payment in various forms, such as application submission fees, commissions, job security deposits, or charges for toolkits.
In Before the Job scam, scammers mainly offer jobs in big and famous companies and MNCs.
These scams lure people in with enticing offers that seem too good to be true. For instance, they might promise high earnings with minimal work hours, making it seem like a dream opportunity. Additionally, they often employ tactics like claiming limited availability or creating a sense of urgency to pressure victims into making quick payments.
Overall, these scammers entice victims with the promise of lucrative future earnings and a lavish lifestyle while discouraging them from thinking critically or researching the legitimacy of the opportunity.
After the Job Scams
In this online job scam, scammers don’t initially request any money from individuals seeking employment. Instead, they offer jobs readily after minimal documentation. However, once individuals join the job, the scammers start demanding money under various pretexts, such as promotion fees or penalties for failing to complete tasks.
These scammers primarily operate by intimidating their victims with threats of legal action, contacting their loved ones, or even circulating manipulated images.
In the “After the Job” scams, victims are often offered positions within the scammer’s own companies or purported multinational corporations (MNCs).
Target Demographic for Online Job Scammers
Online job scammers primarily target individuals who are unemployed and actively seeking employment opportunities. They often source their victim’s data from online job portals and social media platforms.
Less educated individuals may not be as susceptible to these scams, as they may not fully comprehend the purported benefits and are content with their current employment situations. Conversely, highly educated individuals are less likely to fall victim to these schemes due to their better understanding of the job market and potential red flags.
Also read: Fraud Loan Apps : Ways to Safeguard Yourself
As a result, online job fraud companies tend to focus on targeting individuals at a mid-level stage of education, as they may be more vulnerable to manipulation and deception.
Data Feeding Jobs Scam
Many scams masquerading as data-feeding jobs are rampant in the market, serving as prime examples of post-employment scams. In these schemes, scammers lure victims with the promise of contract-based work with achievable targets. Initially, the tasks seem manageable, and individuals readily agree to the contract terms.
However, after a few days of work, victims often find themselves unable to meet the targets due to unrealistic expectations or arbitrary rule changes imposed by the company. Sometimes, even when individuals complete tasks on time and according to the company’s guidelines, the company may replace the tasks with more difficult ones.
As a result, victims struggle to meet the targets and inevitably fail, leading the company to threaten them with legal action and severe reputation damage if they refuse to pay penalties imposed for alleged shortcomings.
What to do to avoid penalties?
As former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan wisely advised, “Sabse Pahle Aapne Ghabrana Nahi Hai” (First of all, don’t panic). It’s crucial to recognize that these data-feeding job scams are just that—scams. Authorities are already taking action against them, so there’s no need to believe that they will receive assistance from the government or police or be able to take legal action against you.
It’s important to understand that these scammers can only attempt to intimidate you into draining your bank account. The contracts they present are entirely fraudulent. Therefore, it’s best to remain calm. If they call or threaten you with legal action, simply respond with confidence, saying, “Go ahead.”
How to avoid online job scams?
Avoiding such fraudulent job offers requires vigilance and caution. Always conduct thorough research on any job opportunity offered online. Utilize keywords like “fraud” along with the job title to search for any scams associated with it. For instance, if offered a job in AI content generation, search for “AI content generation fraud” to uncover any related scams.
Never be lured solely by the promise of a lucrative and high-paying job. If something seems too good to be true, it likely is. Genuine companies typically compensate employees fairly for their work.
When applying for jobs, rely on official company websites. Navigate to the “Career” or “Jobs” section to check for legitimate job openings and apply directly through these channels.
Never, under any circumstances, pay money to anyone in exchange for a job opportunity.
I hope we have helped you understand online job frauds and how to avoid them. If you need any particular information, please comment below.
Also read: Money Mule Scam: All You Need to Know to Be Safe Online
