Idaho Department of Labor investigating job seeker scam

The Idaho Department of Labor is warning the public about a scam targeting job seekers across the state.

The department is investigating fraudulent emails that job seekers have received with the subject line of “Job Offer” from a company called Juno Publishing Limited.

The email suggests the job seeker’s profile was accessed through a fictitious employer account in IdahoWorks, the department’s job search engine. Recipients are being instructed to set up a Google Hangout account and engage in a dialogue where the scammer asks the job seeker to provide personal identification data to receive a job.

The Idaho Department of Labor offers this advice to anyone who receives the emails:

DO NOT RESPOND DO NOT CLICK ON THE LINKS contained in the message, and DELETE THE EMAILS, including removing them from the trash.

Job scams like these are common and start with a request for a job seeker to participate in a job interview through an online chat network or other messenger software. Job seekers then are offered the job within minutes of the interview and asked for personal information.

Here are some tips to help job seekers avoid job scams and false postings:

Requests to participate in an online chat interview. Unprofessional communication – misspelled words, improper grammar, random capitalized letters. Requests for personal information including bank or credit card information. Job postings that offer few details. Requests for money to secure your job. Unprofessional communication. Anonymous emails. Overpayments for the job duties listed.

For more information on how to avoid being a victim of a job scam, read the department’s tip sheet for Avoiding Job Scams on our blog.