If you are looking for a job during this pandemic, you may have to do your interviewing via Zoom or Skype.
Unfortunately, this new way of hiring -- with no face-to-face interview -- has led to a surge in job scams, as one Ohio man learned.
Jordan Dixon was recently laid off from his job as a graphic designer due to the pandemic.
So he jumped on LinkedIn and quickly found a designer job listing at a company called Miller Paints.
"It was for a multimedia designer opportunity," Dixon said.
He applied and was immediately contacted by a recruiter.
"They actually sent me a questionnaire, and 20-question Word document, that had a lot of in-depth questions," Dixon said.
The very next day, the recruiter emailed Dixon to say the position was his, if he just sent some personal info.
"They needed banking information and Social Security and all that," he said.
He was about to forward his personal information, until he noticed the recruiter's email was misspelled as "Miiler Paint," not "Miller Paint." It had two "i's" instead of two "l's."
So he called Miller Paint's headquarters and learned the company had no such job opening.
"When I called," he said, "the HR lady had no idea this listing was even out there!"
Job scams soaring during pandemic
The Better Business Bureau says job scams like this are surging during the pandemic because many companies have no one in their offices and are doing all their interviewing and hiring online.
Sara Kemerer of the BBB recommends confirming any opening with the company before giving out personal info.
"When you are looking for a job on those professional websites like LinkedIn, Indeed, or Monster," she said, "go to the company's official career page on their website, and see if you can match the job listing on there to the one you found on the employment website."
Jordan Dixon's hunch was right: We called the real Miller Paints, where the HR director confirmed the job listing was fraudulent. They are not hiring a graphic designer.
In the meantime, the BBB says if you can't find the company with a quick Google search, move on. It's probably a bogus company and a fake listing.
That way, you don't waste your money.
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