I've mentioned it's a jungle out there, but few things are as tasty and succulent to the predator as the unemployed person.
And as times get tougher and unemployment rates are flirting with double digits, there's plenty of game out there, and consequently, lots of hunters.
Some of the sleaziest are using job promises as bait, according to Time:
Over the summer, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a wave of cases, including one against Job Safety USA, a front company that targeted people seeking maintenance and cleaning work. The ads claimed that for $98 Job Safety would send a credential called a "certificate registration number" and then help the registrant find a job. But the credential was bogus and there were no jobs. "When the economy is down, scammers take advantage of people who are anxious about their financial position," says FTC attorney Karen Hobbs. A growing area of concern: unemployment-insurance scams. (Make a note now that you should never have to pay anybody money to collect unemployment benefits.) Certain frauds are easy to sniff out once you know to look for them. A lot seems wrong with an ad to make $500 in two days that explains "the world have gone to the extend on make money with every means you can get you hand on" and then asks for "Status Of Job You Into." Less blatant red flags include e-mail addresses with domains like Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo! and Rediffmail (an Indian outfit) — most legitimate hirers have e-mail addresses from their companies. A company or recruiter that asks for your bank account or credit-card number is a huge warning sign. True, plenty of companies use bank information for direct-deposit paychecks — but that comes after you're hired.
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