How to avoid job ad scams

Toni Bowers: If I were to put together a list of the top ten scum-bag business models out there, I would have to find a place near the top for  career-marketing services.  Here s the scoop on these guys:

They post a job ad, you send in your resume, and they call you up to make an appointment for an interview. When you get there, they say,  Well, we really don t have an opening for the position we put in the paper. We can TRAIN you to apply for positions like that. We re actually a career service.  And they offer to  train you  for a large sum of money (sometimes up to $10,000).

Of course, you re free to walk out at that point without giving them a red cent, and I beg you to do so, but even then you ve wasted valuable time even meeting with them. You ve also been unnecessarily encouraged by getting an  interview  and then let down hard.

This job scam goes beyond  Buyer Beware.  It s preying on the vulnerable people who make up that double-digit unemployment rate and who re desperate to pay their mortgages and keep food on the table. Shameful.

And the career services market is not the only villain. According to The Wall Street Journal, fake job ads might be a plan by identity thieves to get you to share sensitive personal information via phishing expeditions. Some of the job postings could be from recruiting agencies looking to collect r sum s.

So how can you tell the difference between a real job ad and these low-life tactics? First, a fake job ad usually lacks details. It might refer to the employer as a  major technology firm  on  in the Bay Area.  Also, if it lists the salary as  $50,000 or more!  look out. Legitimate ads don t list a salary range and they most certainly don t use exclamation points.

• If you re unsure whether an ad is sincere, you can take these steps:
• Provide a resume with a post-office box address instead of your home address.
• List just your initials in the document instead of your full name.
• Use a disposable e-mail address to keep from getting spammed to death in the one you normally use.
• If a company name is provided, search for the employer s Web site to learn more about it.
• Lastly, check for any complaints filed against it with the Better Business Bureau.

Good luck!