Posts Tagged ‘classifieds’
FTC Announces Operation Bottom Dollar
February 18th, 2010
by Guest Blogger
[Today's guest blogger is Monica Vaca, Assistant Director, Division of Marketing Practices, Federal Trade Commission.]
For most of us who have friends or relatives looking for jobs, the reports about unemployment figures make our hearts sink. But for some, the news that tens of millions of people are searching for something hard to find – a paying job – is just what they need to cook up a scam.
My new friend Cathy told me a story recently. She came across a job listing in the classifieds that seemed right for her and called the number on the ad. The woman on the other end promised to place her in a job for an $89 placement fee. In exchange for a job paying $14 to $19 per hour, that seemed okay, so Cathy borrowed the money to pay it. You can probably guess the end — there was no job.
Today, the FTC, with federal and state partners, announced Operation Bottom Dollar, a law enforcement effort to shine a light on job fraud. For its part, the FTC filed 7 new cases against individuals and businesses that allegedly tricked people into paying money for jobs or other chances to earn income.
What are some types of job scams involved in Operation Bottom Dollar?
Here is what you need to know about job fraud:
- Don’t pay money for the promise of a job.
- Federal government jobs and jobs with the U.S. Postal Service do not require any application or other fees.
- Be very skeptical of anyone who asks for money in exchange for a so-called “opportunity” to work from home.
- Before paying money, check out the business with the Better Business Bureau.
- Report fraud to the FTC.
What’s the takeaway for job seekers from Operation Bottom Dollar?
Learn more at ftc.gov/jobscams.
Tags: classifieds, employment, job search, jobs
Posted in Scam Watch | 6 Comments »
Job Scams
February 17th, 2010
by Amy
Many people looking for work are being ripped off by scam artists. These are people who say they’ve got jobs to fill, promise you access to special job listings or interviews, or guarantee to place you in a job. All you have to do is pay them a fee or give them your credit or debit card information. Unfortunately, once you pay, you find out there is no job.
That’s why the Federal Trade Commission has produced Job Scams (also in Spanish), a new video warning job hunters not to pay for the promise of a job. The video tells you how to spot a job scam, and how you can stop them — by reporting them to the FTC.
Tags: classifieds, employment, job search, jobs, scams
Posted in Scam Watch | 2 Comments »