Jobseekers

If you’re an IT job seeker, you should be able to identify when scammers are impersonating IT recruiting companies.  Unfortunately, some scammers have begun calling and emailing IT professionals in the last few years, pretending to be technical recruiters.  Some scammers have even impersonated AVID Technical Resources in the past few years! Scammers can go so far as to set up websites (usually flimsy and poorly constructed), and/or LinkedIn profiles (often poorly-edited ones with a small or nonexistent network of connections).  These scammers are dangerous because they may wind up stealing your identity, your money, or making illegal charges to your credit card.  Here’s how to spot scammers who are impersonating IT staffing companies and IT recruiters.

Watch out for these red flags—you might be dealing with scammers

• Offers without interviews or for jobs you’ve never applied to. Real IT recruiters will call you to set up at least a phone interview (and probably an in-person interview!) before ever relaying a job offer.  If it sounds too easy and too good to be true, beware!  Keep track of the jobs you’re applying for or your IT staffing companies have submitted you for.  This will help you avoid being easily confused or misled by scammers.
• If a job listing says ‘work from home’ in the title, be wary. IT jobs can often be done partially or fully remotely.  However, a remote work option is usually discussed in conversations about the job.  It’s not something technical recruiters will usually list in the job title.
• It’s a red flag if somebody who seems to be an IT recruiter approaches you with a job or a job listing gives a salary that is outrageously out of a normal range.  As mentioned above, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
• If you’re contacted by somebody claiming to be a technical recruiter and their grammar is terrible or they present you with really poorly-written and incredibly vague job descriptions, they may be a scammer.  Often, scammers operate from outside the US and English isn’t the first language (and/or they have a poor command of it).  It’s also worth noting that IT jobs usually have incredibly specific requirements, including necessary technologies and experiences.  If a job description doesn’t list things like this, beware.

Tips for protecting yourself from scammers impersonating IT recruiters

• Be very careful about who you give personal information (especially your social security number). This information probably won’t be required until you’re filling out paperwork for a job or if you’re deep in the process of applications for IT jobs.
• Along the same lines, keep your social security number off your resume if you post it on online.
• You should never be charged for any upfront costs by your IT staffing firms.  Scammers may tell you they need money for visas, training, background checks, etc.  Reputable IT recruiting firms, like AVID Technical Resources will not make you pay for these things—they or the employers they work with will pay.
• If you’re wary of a recruiter or company, research them online.  They should have a real website, LinkedIn profile(s), positive reviews, etc.  They should be emailing you from company email addresses (not personal ones like hotmail or gmail).  If you Google their name and the only thing that comes up are results that include the word ‘scam,’ then they’re likely scammers. There are also scam lists you can check, including ones maintained by the Better Business Bureau and Federal Trade Commission.
• Lastly, if you’re suspicious of an IT recruiter or IT staffing agency, ask them for references.  If they’re legitimate, they’ll happily provide them.