Looking for a job? Be careful online
If you’re looking for a job, be cautious of online job postings, Pocatello police said Tuesday.
The department is receiving a lot of complaints from citizens on false job postings. The scams related to Craigslist are especially prevalent because the job posts and listings are free.
Victims are drawn to “work from home” jobs where you will be paid a generous wage to be an administrative assistant or customer service rep. The “wage” will be paid by check, which is well over the amount owed. The scammer gives the “employee” various reasons to wire a piece of that check back – only the victims are actually transferring their own money back to the thieves because the checks are fakes. When the counterfeit checks bounce, locals have been left holding the bag for thousands of dollars.
The “employer” will also find a reason to obtain your personal information for employment purposes, which they can sell to a third party, leaving the victim vulnerable to identity theft.
“Watch out for a high salary or wage for a job that lists ‘no experience necessary’ in the description or is vague in the description of the job,” said Dianne Brush of the Pocatello Police Department in a news release. “A legitimate company will list specific job requirements and have contact information for the company. A listing that posts a link which sends you to another site to register your personal information, is probably a scam. Take a few minutes to research the company and make a few calls to verify the legitimacy of any job postings or job offers.”
Other recent victims thought they were getting a great deal on a used car advertised on Craigslist. The seller drove the vehicle to Pocatello, from Salt Lake and after obtaining cash for the car, gave the victims a key that wouldn’t open the vehicle, and the seller left with the car.
