Top Strategies on How to Spot and Avoid Fake Job Listings

• Scammers are targeting job-seekers, so caution is key when navigating employment opportunities
• There are several ways to ensure that you identify valid vacancies to avoid being scammed out of your money or, worse, falling victim to more violent crimes
• Briefly News offers tips to protect yourself in the job market, such as thoroughly researching companies and scrutinising job listings before applying

Job hunting is a job on its own and sometimes very frustrating. With the unemployment rate rising to 32.9% in the first quarter of 2024, the job market has become highly competitive, making finding employment opportunities another extreme challenge. In addition, fake job listings are a recent trend in the South African labour market.

Beware of fake job listings on popular platforms

Fake job listings are jobs posted on various job boards for roles that aren't being actively hired. Popular job platforms such as Pnet, LinkedIn, CareerJunction, Careers24 and Indeed are the playground for these fake job listings. The Government Department of Employment and Labour has also taken note of these scams, with some promising jobs at a fee. As a job seeker, desperation to secure a job makes you vulnerable to these scams because these fake job listings or scam vacancies look legitimate at first glance.

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So, to avoid fake job posts, the best thing you can do at the onset is to do due diligence. This includes researching the job and organisation, verifying the job postings and definitely avoiding upfront payments as stated in the Employment Services Act.

So why would fraudsters create fake job listings? They do this to access your personal and financial information for their fraudulent activities.

Here's how you can navigate the job market safely

Research the company

Whether the hiring company or the recruiter, scrutinise their online presence and cross-reference the listed job with other reputable job platforms.

When it is too good to be true, it usually is. Job seekers need to be extra vigilant of unrealistic promises.

Compare jobs and offers

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Do so with reputable compensation software and data companies. Prospective employers offer realistic and competitive compensation packages based on industry standards.

Remember that fake job listings are data collection tools to collect sensitive personal information. So always protect your information. Monitor what you share and which links you click. It is essential to have a secure tunnel between your device and the internet.

Pay attention to details

Pay attention to the job descriptions and requirements. When these are poorly written and contain grammatical errors and inconsistencies, they should put you on high alert. These are signs of fraudsters designed to exploit job seekers. Legitimate companies invest effort into well-written job descriptions, which is a sign of professionalism and an attempt to make a good impression on prospective employees.

Exercise caution and vigilance in a competitive job market

So, in this very competitive and highly challenging job market, to make things easier for yourself as a job seeker, exercising caution and vigilance should be your superpowers to avoid falling victim to fake job listings.

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Always stay on trend and well informed about job hunting best practices. This helps you avoid fake job posts. Use secure tunnels between your device and the internet as you search for your dream job with confidence while protecting yourself from fake job listings.

Source: Briefly News