Beware of Craigslist Job Posting Scams

In a tough economy like this one, it's outrageous to hear that things like this are happening, but they are. This Craigslist ad was responded to by a job applicant:

Receptionist (Naperville)

---

Date: 2011-01-18, 5:57PM CST
Reply to: job-adruy-2167518640@craigslist.org ^{[Errors when replying to ads?]}
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Our current office in the Naperville area is currently seeking an experienced Receptionist that is willing to start by Monday the 24th. Responsibilities of the job includes answering all phone calls/pending voicemails, greeting and assisting all clients, schedule company meetings, and organize/file all documents. Previous experience as a receptionist is a plus, but is not required. A professional and positive attitude is a MUST have to grow with this company. Candidate must be responsible, punctual, and honest. Please reply with a cover letter when submitting your resume. Resume must be in Word Format.

Location: Naperville
Compensation: $17 to $21/Hour (To be discussed)
OK to highlight this job opening for persons with disabilities
Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
Please, no phone calls about this job!
Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.

PostingID: 2167518640

This email was received several days after responding to the job posting. I have not edited it in any way, other than to disable the links. I'm sure the name and company are phony. I Googled the company name and came up with nothing.

Subject: Re: Receptionist PostingID: 2167518640

Hello,
Thank you for sending your resume to me. So the job responsibilities are clear, you will be answering the phone, scheduling meetings, and running company errands such as buying office supplies and making bank deposits in a company car. When running errands you will be provided with a company credit card to make supply purchases, etc.

We have had some bad experiences with prior employees taking advantage of having access to a company credit card in the past, so before we can schedule an interview, we need you to get a credit check. We prefer you use http://grademycredit.org/free2011 to obtain this information as they currently have a free trial. We have also found their reports most accurate. When you submit your information they will send you your credit score.

When you email me your credit score, we can schedule for an interview. Please do not email me your credit report, as this may have private information in it. If you have a low credit score, that will not prevent you from having an interview with us, but it does show us that you are trustworthy and responsible. Please send me your schedule with availability for an interview along with your credit score. I am looking forward to your response.

Sincerely,

David Hower
HR Manager
Villacom Limited

This response was sent:

Mr. Hower,

I would never click on a link in an email, regardless if it was a job posting that I thought was legitimate. I certainly wouldn't click on a link in such an email to run a credit report under such dubious circumstances. To say "We have had some bad experiences with prior employees taking advantage of having access to a company credit card in the past, so before we can schedule an interview, we need you to get a credit check." is ridiculous.

A reputable company would have a candidate come to their office, complete an application and ask the candidate to sign documents authorizing a a credit report. A reputable company would then run a credit report through TransUnion, Equifax or Experian. The cost is minimal. Or they would automate the process online for the candidate to complete an application and authorize a credit report. To also say "If you have a low credit score, that will not prevent you from having an interview with us, but it does show us that you are trustworthy and responsible." is absurd. Not all people with low credit scores are embezzlers. In fact, I'm sure there are quite a few with high credit scores who lead high lifestyles that lead them to embezzling or gambling or what have you to maintain their lifestyle and credit score.

So Mr. Hower, if that is indeed your real name, you should be ashamed of yourself for running a scam job posting and preying on honest, hard working people, many of whom have lost their jobs through no fault of their own who are looking for work in such a terrible economy.

Sincerely,
XXXXXXXXXX

There was no reply received to the email sent. Big surprise!

The sad part is that there are some people who have been out of work for so long, who are so desperate to find a job that they will fall for this scam.

If you are applying for jobs online, even if you are using some of the more well known job websites, be careful!

You should never have to run your own credit report in order to get a job interview.

I used to work in the mortgage industry, I know exactly how much large companies are charged for credit reports by the big 3 credit reporting agencies. Even if this were a small business who rarely ran credit checks, I can't believe it would cost more than $25 or $30 per credit report. Think about it, when was the last time you rented an apartment and were charged the fee for the credit report. How much was it? Remember...it's part of the cost of doing business.

For anyone to ask you to prove that you aren't a thief by asking you to click on a link to run your own credit report, ask yourself this...who is the real thief?

Lola's Diner ©2008-2011