Posts Tagged ‘craigslist’
Avoid scams on Craigslist
Friday, September 2nd, 2011
Beware of job posting scams
Wednesday, June 29th, 2011Picture this: You’ve applied for a job, and you receive a promising e-mail response. The e-mail states that the company is interested in you, and the salary is big.
However, the job you would be doing involves sensitive information, so you have to submit to a background check as part of the interview process. So you give them your age, height, weight, Social Security number, bank account numbers and mother’s maiden name, as per the company’s request.
What’s wrong with this picture?
This is a typical scam, victimizing unemployed people so desperate to find work that they’ll do just about anything. This type of scam is perpetrated by criminals every day, using legitimate job sites like Monster, Craigslist and CareerBuilder. The ads look legit enough, but when they start asking for your personal information, beware.
It is not necessary to provide your Social Security number when applying for a job, even if the request is because a background check is needed. You should never give a prospective employer your credit card or bank account information, either. They have no reason to ask for this information.
Some job postings will respond by asking you to log onto a “secure server” so that you can access their site and take a look at the kinds of work you’d be doing. The sender will request that you e-mail a password, banking on the fact that many people use the same password for everything. It’s very likely that the person on the other end of this request is a criminal, and he’s counting on you to e-mail him your password.
Don’t fall for this scam. There are a lot of legitimate job postings out there, but be careful and use common sense. Don’t provide your most personal information.
‘Grandmother type’ arrested in theft scam
Thursday, August 19th, 2010When Bill and his family were planning a four-day getaway for the Labor Day weekend last year, they decided to hire someone to look after their home and pets while they were away. Bill searched craigslist and found several possible candidates.
One person who looked particularly promising was 71-year-old Martha Smith. She was a grandmother type from a nearby town who seemed nice and trustworthy. The family went on vacation and left their home in her care.
When they returned, they found a very unpleasant surprise. Smith wasn’t who she said she was. She had given them a fake name, and police had shown up at Bill’s home the day before he and his family returned, and arrested the woman.
Acting on a tip from neighbors, Smith was arrested for what police believed was a long string of fraud and identity theft charges spanning four states. Neighbors alerted the police that the house sitter was leaving doors and windows open and unattended at the house for long periods of time.
When she was arrested, Smith had in her possession items from at least four of the other families she’d scammed, as well as items from Bill’s home.
Turns out, there were warrants in three other states for Smith’s arrest. The woman has been charged with credit card theft, receiving stolen property and theft by taking.
Craigslist has an anti-scam page on its site, warning customers to deal locally with people they meet in person, and never to send money by way of a wire service.
Bill said Smith was polite, and very well spoken – and downright charming – and she almost charmed his family out of house and home.
Be careful when hiring people for any reason. And be sure to protect your personal information by signing up for LifeLock today. LifeLock will monitor for all credit and non-credit related threats to your personal information, and will notify you immediately of any compromises. Call them today and sleep better tonight.
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