How to Protect yourself from Job Scams Powered by ChatGPT trying to Rob You
Don't be fooled by job scams created by ChatGPT. Here's what you can do to protect your future.
The recent layoffs in the tech industry and digital industry have created more job seekers. The pandemic in recent years has also driven a high number of job seekers to remote work. As people become desperate for work, scammers are also trying their best to find loopholes, and online has become a great place for them to find their culprits.
Job scams have become very popular on career sites such as Indeed and LinkedIn. Sometimes these scammers will contact you directly, especially if you’re searching for a job. They will lure you into clicking some malicious links and also share your personal information. The latest tool used by these scammers is ChatGPT.
They will pose as employers or recruiters, and their profiles can really look legit. Stay with me as I outline some safety tips that will help as we all duck and dive from these cyber criminals that seem to find a loophole in every popular technological trend.
How to Spot a Job Scam
Check the Employer’s Benefits and Promises
If the promises the employer makes are too good to be true then they probably are. If someone promises that you can make thousands of dollars in hours, weeks, or months making it look very suspicious and easy then it probably is a scam. Most unrealistic job descriptions are commonly general and vague while a real job posting has all details and descriptions in terms of job responsibilities and expectations.
Most fake recruiters tend to ask for information such as payment methods early. They can say you are paying for a laptop or shipping so you will need to provide them with bank information for them to deposit your reimbursed funds.
Never give them your banking information as this is a recipe for disaster and they are likely to wipe out your account. Dealing with the bank to try and retrieve your money is also an additional headache. Never issue information such as your social security number, credit card information, and a bank verification number.
In the past, it was easier to spot a job scam as you would see signs such as poor grammar, and bad spelling which are bright red indicators of a scam.
Unfortunately, it's no longer easy to spot a job scam because of generative AI chatbots such as ChatGPT that leverage to write sophisticated job descriptions. If a recruiter writes their job description using an AI I guarantee you you’ll never know that the listing is fake.
Always Verify the Recruiter’s Identity
This is important and you can easily do it by first checking their email address. If it looks like a personal email or it has been misspelled that's a red flag. Recruiters commonly contact you using a company email address. If any recruiter contacts you through sites such as Indeed and LinkedIn do your own research to ensure the company is hiring and it exists.
Check their connections and ensure they know other people that work for this particular company. Commonly if they have few connections or none then be skeptical of the job offer.
If the red flags aren’t as clear, take a further step by looking up the company they're advertising for online. check its legitimacy and see what other people have to say about the company through reviews.
If You've Been Scammed, Protect Yourself
If you think you've been scammed through an online job application, stop communicating with the scammer. From what I hear they have a way of convincing you to think they are legit and you might end up paying out more money. If you’ve given the scammer access to your bank account or credit card, call the bank immediately and block your cards and close all the accounts you have with that bank.
Additionally, you could also file a fake job report through the Better Business Bureau Scam Tracker to the Federal Trade Commission. Finally, always contact the local police department to file a report.
I know getting scammed can make you give up or lose hope in finding your job but never give up, continue pursuing your dreams, and always look out for any scams using the points I have given you.
