How to spot a job scam

HR Company Solutions would like to raise an alarm to job seekers that there is someone that is using their company name to scam job seekers. Job seekers should be wary about the scam that has been making its rounds in Gauteng.

According to Madelein Smit, Founder and Managing Director of HR Company, “We have been receiving calls from people asking us about their jobs. The scammer has asked job seekers to pay a certain fee in order to secure a job interview using one of our employees’ name,” says Smit.

“Scams have a negative impact on recruitment agencies, as people are becoming wary when approached with job offers or opportunities,” added Smit

Tips on how to spot a job scam:

1. Recruitment agencies can NOT charge a candidate any amount of money to assist them in finding a job.
2. We live in the digital era, where every business has a website. Thus, the company or person should be able to provide you with their website address. Ensure that you look at their website.
3. If the person who contacted you stated that you have been “shortlisted for a job”, and you haven’t applied for any jobs, this should also raise a red flag as you cannot be shortlisted for something that you haven’t even applied for. If you have been applying for jobs, ask the person for the specific details of the job so that you can determine if this is indeed one of the jobs for which you have applied.
4. Remember that sending your CV to someone, gives them access to important personal information which can be very dangerous and lead to things such as identity theft. Thus, before sending your CV to anyone make sure that the person or company is legitimate.
5. Unfortunately, if something sounds too good to be true, it usually is. So, beware of people who can “guarantee” you a job in exchange for R300 – recruiting doesn’t work like that.
6. When applying for jobs advertised through Gumtree, Indeed, etc, be sure to read through the job descriptions and specifications, make sure there is a valid contact number and company name before applying.
7. When searching for a job, use platforms such as PNET, Careers24, Indeed etc. Recruiters and companies who advertise a job on these platforms must present relevant business documentation as well as pay a monthly fee before they are able to post job vacancies. Note- only recruiters pay a fee, applicants are not charged anything. This ensures that the positions you are applying for are legitimate.
8. Before uploading any of your personal information or your CV to websites or other platforms that require you to do so, make sure these are trusted and legitimate.