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Job seekers warned of online scams

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By NATALIE SHEPHERD

nshepherd@wfla.com

Published: November 7, 2009

Job seekers beware. There's a new warning on Craigslist.com.

The Web site recently posted a scam alert, telling applicants to look out for bogus ads that promise work that doesn't exist.

"The ones that sound too good to be true, they usually are," said Kevin Jackson, chief investigator for the Hillsborough County Consumer Protection Agency.

Jackson says job scams have been out there for years, but the problem may be growing because unemployment is so high.

"That desperate place where people are at, looking for a job, sometimes they let their guard down and they let go of that information, and that's really a warning they need to heed," he said.

These bogus ads can take many forms. Some promise high wages for minimal, at-home work.

"It's sitting at home doing some menial task for a lot of money and those things generally turn out to be scams," Jackson said.

Other job postings request credit card or personal information to run a background check. Jackson says job seekers should never pay to apply for employment.

"I always try to emphasize this: Don't pay for a job," Jackson said. "You don't need to be putting money out front, or giving personal information. Things like that that should just raise a red flag."

Jackson says it's also a red flag if the ad doesn't give specific information about the company, such as the company's name, address, and full contact information.

"Typically, they're advertised on Craigslist and other Internet sites to keep that anonymity going," he said. "You may see the same ad from geographic region to region, even though it's supposed to be a Tampa job."

Angelletta Lee knows all about bogus ads. She has been looking for a job in the medical field for three months.

"It's rough, very rough," she said. Lee has tried several avenues to get work, going on interviews, using career counselors, and applying online. She says there's one way she knows if a job isn't legitimate.

"Some of them (are) asking for money upfront," she said.

Jackson encourages job seekers to go to job fairs and job placement centers as an alternative to applying online.

He also applauds the efforts of Craigslist to police its postings.

"They take consumer feedback on a daily basis and remove ads every day, so they're doing what they can, but that doesn't mean they can get them all," he said.

The Florida Attorney General's Office has received 77 complaints on Craigslist job ads.

Reporter Natalie Shepherd can be reached at (813) 225-2703.

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