RSS FeedHow To Spot a Scam On Craigslist
I thought myself pretty good at spotting scams, and really, haven't been taken in by anyone, but in my quest for a new job I've found that there is a lot of freaking crap on craigslist. I believe a real job can be found there (my last job was found there as well as a a few interviews recently), but in my desperation I've started replying to ads that look almost legit; they aren't "OMG TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE", and seem like, well, it could be a real posting. Most aren't. I don't think it's too big of a deal - my resume is out there on a few job boards, what more are they getting from me? But it gets annoying. So here are a few techniques I've been using to detect the scams.
How legit does it look?
Some ads are obviously not real - work at home by using google WHERE DO I SIGN UP?! These usually have headlines that are pretty fake to begin with - make $1000/day! Data Entry, no computer skills needed! - you can just assume those are fake and move on. But some look more convincing - Assistant needed in busy office. Must be knowledgeable in Word, Quickbooks, etc, etc. This looks alright. But a few things:
The ad won't have a real email address, phone number, anything signifying that it's a real company, business or person. Now some ads do utilize the auto-email-hiding that CL provides, so this might still be real, but the odds are now something like 30%.
Google It
Anytime you have a doubt, Google It. Someone says Nintendo owns NASA? Google It. Dogs have no stomachs? Google It. They know George Lucas? Well, you can Google It, but it probably won't reveal much. Just call them a tool and walk away.
But for this sort of stuff? Google is your best friend (as is usually the case). Por ejemplo:
Saw an ad for a "Front Desk Associate" in my city. Looks okay, no huge mistakes. Simply copy a key phrase or sentence (in this case I chose "A mature person with previous front desk experience and experience on a property management system is preferred"), and stick it into Google. Throw some quotes around it, make sure google knows you want to find that exact phrase. It most likely will show you a couple results and say some were ommited - because, well, this exact ad is up in about 100 cities right now. Here's one for Hamilton. And Medford. These will most likely get flagged and removed, so here is the copy of the ad, in it's entirety, as seen on numerous job boards and craigslist listings:
Our hotel is looking for a Front Desk Associate who is flexible and available all shifts, and frequent weekends as well. A mature person with previous front desk experience and experience on a property management system is preferred. A friendly and outgoing personality is a must. Applicant should be willing to work occasional Night Audit shifts. Pay will be determined by experience. Please attach resume to response.
This really doesn't seem to bad, almost legit. But why in the world would it be up all over the place? Flag it and move on.
Does it seem real? Am I applying for a job or what?
This sort of belongs with How Legit Does it Look, but in this case, I just wanted to point out things that make me think, "This is real. I have no doubt, this is real". Some obvious things, like a persons name, local phone number, company, bring legit status up quite a bit. Something else though: is there a fax number? I don't see a lot of fake ads with fax numbers. Usually, if there is a fax number, or some way to talk to someone real right then and there, it is probably a real ad. Of course, don't forget to Google It - I've seen ads that look more legit cause they have an email address and a name - a quick google shows that Debbie Shrapnal is apparently located in a number of cities, waiting with God knows how many "jobs" to give out.