Avoiding Spam on Craigslist's Job Postings

Over the past year and a half I have monitored job postings in a few different locales of craigslist. As with any online classifieds system, spam is always only a click away. I have put together a good many tips that will aid you in your job search through craigslist. I hope these tips save you time and money, keep you safe from spam and fraudulent practices, and ultimately help you find a legitimate job.

Be wary of any posting that includes a link to an online application. Many times these so called applications are simply a ploy to convince you to sign up and pay for a credit report. Even if the credit report is free, or a free trial, rest assured that the poster of the ad will be compensated for getting you to purchase a credit report. In all reality, this is the sole purpose of their job ad, to get you to sign up for a credit report so that they can collect a referral payment.

Any posting that offers you a job opportunity working from home should draw a red flag. It is very rare to find a job that allows you to telecommute, especially for a new hire. More often than not, any work from home position will wind up being a survey site, ad site, or a pyramid scheme. Basically the idea is that you fill out surveys or view ads and get paid for doing so. These programs advertise generous salaries, because you can indeed earn as much as you want as there is no limit to how many surveys or ads you can complete, except by the amount available on the site. The truth of the matter is that you would have to invest many hours for a very small payout.

If you send an email to a job posting and receive a message back instantly, this is an auto responder. These are not always an indication of spam, but many times are. Be sure to carefully read any email you receive almost immediately and decide for yourself if the response sounds like a legitimate job opportunity, or is indeed spam.

Beware booking an interview with someone who has not clearly stated the name of their company, what industry they are a part of, etc. Before you show concern however, inquire into the company's background if you are in doubt. It is a common practice for insurance agencies and ponzi schemers to setup an interview with you for a financial services opening or an opening that requires you to undergo training. Once at the interview, you find that you are being pitched a prewritten interview script to draw you into signing up to be an independent salesperson or contractor, who will earn no wage but purely commission, and furthermore you will have to undergo training to be certified or licensed to perform these sales. Guaranteed, the training you need will cost you out of pocket money, usually to the tune of a few hundred dollars. This is not a job opportunity, but a ponzi scheme.

When you receive a reply from your prospective employer, inspect their email address. Is it a legitimate email address? What is the domain, or the part after the 'at' symbol? Simply type the domain into your web browser and determine if the domain from which the email originated is a legitimate business or not. For example, you receive a reply to your inquiry from john@bestjobs.com. You would simply type bestjobs.com into your browser and determine for yourself if the site is a legitimate employer. Beware any strange email addresses, especially ones that contain random typing, misspelled company names, or variations of legitimate company names.

Be on the lookout for copycat companies. This means someone is posing as an employee of an organization and is emailing you from a domain that could be mistaken for the actual legitimate organization. Simply do an online search for their business name, and find the legitimate web site for the organization. If the email you received comes from a different domain, you may be talking to an individual who is impersonating an employee of the legitimate company.

If you have the money, invest in a fax machine or an online fax service that will allow you to fax your resume. Many hiring agents experience the same problems as job seekers and eventually stop accepting resumes through email for this reason. If you find a job posting that is only contactable via fax, you have probably found a legitimate opportunity. Unfortunately, if you do not own a fax machine this puts you in a tough spot, so be prepared for this situation ahead of time. Online fax solutions often offer a trial period, so at the very least you may be able to use their system on a trial basis just to send your resume via fax to potential employers and cancel the trial membership before it runs out, if you are low on cash.

Be very wary of opportunities for movie extras, actors, models, etc. Many times these are scams, and in extreme cases are attempts at identity theft. Futhermore, in the case of models or adult actors ads, you can be led to even seedier proceedings. Investigate into the legitimacy of the company, and make sure that who you are talking to represents a legitimate company. Show extreme caution if someone tells you they are a startup adult entertainment company.

By utilizing objective thought, common sense, and not becoming over anxious or excited by your job search, you can circumnavigate many of these treacherous spammers and scammers. These same practices are used on major job search websites as well, and in those cases are usually even better disguised. Just because you are on Monster or Career Builder does not mean every job listed is legitimate, and in the case of craigslist, this issue is even more prevalent.

When in doubt, trust your gut feeling, and do a little digging. More often than not, a few quick Google searches will give you a clear cut answer as to whether or not the person you are in contact with is legitimate or not. As the classic adage states, if it is too good to be true, it usually is. Safeguard your personal information, your money, and your well being by putting these tips to use while you search for your next great employer.