By Debbie Hilary Quaye
It often sounds genuine and good, and all you do is to start thanking your stars for landing a new job. You are therefore in haste to conclude the “formalities” with the recruitment agent, to get to work. In haste, you become unaware that you are being duped.
There is a surge in recruitment scam with daily reports of the arrest of fake employment agents.
Hundreds of job seekers continue to be duped not because the fraudsters have become so sophisticated, but because people fail to be alert by questioning the offers and the actions of the agents.
There is a saying that “Do not be so thirsty for opportunity that you drink from any cup handed to you; otherwise you will get poisoned.”
To help prevent such recruitment scams, here are five simple tips that every job seeker can use to detect fraud and avoid being defrauded.
- The Application:Once you see an advertisement for employment on social media, and you apply to an address provided, you need to be on high alert. Verify the advertisement from the company for confirmation or otherwise.
- The Offer:The fraudsters usually call on the phone to convey the offer of employment and would inform you of a date for the interview. Relax and listen attentively. First ask yourself whether you have applied for such a job. If yes, what channel of communication did you expect to be used by the company to reach you.
- Request for processing fee:These agents find nice ways of asking you to pay some money to finalise the employment arrangement. Once they drop that request, know that you are dealing with fraudsters.
Don’t argue. Find out what exactly you are being asked to pay for. (Know that it doesn’t make sense for a company to ask job applicants to pay any employment or processing fee.)
- Payment:Tell them you want to visit their office to pay in cash. Once they decline and insist on an electronic or mobile money transfer, your suspicion should be confirmed.
- Report the matter to the police:Keep all the mobile phone numbers they call you with and hand them over to the police for tracking.
In as much you are yearning for a job, be alert and avoid falling prey to the fake agents and fraudsters who appealingly advertise job vacancies and demand processing fees from applicants.
