Cautions for Job Searching on Craigslist: How to Identify Scams

Craigslist boasts itself as a great place for people to find employment because of its high daily traffic, but it is also rich with scams, so job hunters need to be aware of how to identify employment scam ads on Craigslist. If you follow these five simple screening processes below, you should be able to pinpoint exactly which ads are 99% sure to be scam ads (and flag them so they don't trick any unsuspecting job searchers who haven't read this article).

Identify Craigslist Employment Scams: No Mention of Company Name

If a company is hiring, they have absolutely no reason to not tell you the name of their company. Be wary of ads that refer to themselves as simply a "dental office" or a "law firm" without being more specific about the name of the company. Of course, some of them may be real, but they are much more likely to be real if they actually tell you who they are.

Identify Craigslist Employment Scams: Too Good to be True

As a job hunter, you should be aware of the general averages for pay and benefits for different types of jobs. If an ad is boasting that you need only a high school education, and no experience, and you will earn $14-$16 an hour as a secretary, it is probably not a real job opening.

Identify Craigslist Employment Scams: Street Name as Location

In parentheses after every job ad title, you will find the location of the job. Many scam ads, rather than just putting the name of the city, will actually put the name of a major street in that city. This is most likely to make the ad seem more legitimate. Don't be fooled by this, and actually take more precautions when responding to these ads!

Identify Craigslist Employment Scams: Poor Grammar and Unnecessary Capitalization

If you are reading an ad that has horrible grammar, or that has a lot of words capitalized that really don't need to be at all, then you might be looking at a scam ad. This is because these ads are often just based on a form that is changed slightly to prevent itself from being identified, so bits and pieces are copied and pasted about.

In general, if an ad looks unprofessional but is suggesting they are a professional company, then they probably aren't. If you were looking for somebody to work at your company, don't you think you would take the time to write a decent ad?

Identify Craigslist Employment Scams: Reply to Gmail Address

Another way to identify a Craigslist employment scam is by the reply-to address listed. Many of the scam ads being posted ask you to reply to a gmail address that is a first and last name (perhaps with a middle initial). Although this may seem professional, think about it for a second. If this is a real company, it is very likely that they have a company website, and if they have a company website, it is very likely that they will want you to reply to an email address that is at that company website domain name, not gmail.

Protect Yourself from Employment Scams: More Tips

If you decide that a job listing is probably legitimate and you want to apply for it, you should still continue to take precautions. Read this article for some tips on how to continue to protect yourself from scams as you apply for a job.