The Dangers of Online Job Hunting

A woman in Texas was recently arrested as she entered her local bank, charged with with conning a Florida Ebayer out of nine grand for a motorcycle that never existed. Only thing is, "Bobbie-Jean" claims she's the one who was...

July 13, 2004

1 Min Read
Network Computing logo

A woman in Texas was recently arrested as she entered her local bank, charged with with conning a Florida Ebayer out of nine grand for a motorcycle that never existed.

Only thing is, "Bobbie-Jean" claims she's the one who was conned.

The fifty-one year old unemployed accountant said she accepted a job she found on CareerBuilder.com for an overseas company. Part of her responsibilities included collecting payments from clients in the U.S. and wiring the dough to the UK.

But apparently the whole thing was a scam. And it's not the first time someone's been duped.

CareerBuilder and other online job search sites like Monster and Hotjobs are fighting a tough battle, trying to weed out fake job postings every day. But the illicit offers still manage to slip through, duping desperate job seekers into committing crimes, giving up cash, or worse -- revealing personal details about themselves.

Naturally, when the authorities come knocking, all fingers, roads and paper trails lead right to the unsuspecting "employee," while the company they work for seemingly vanishes.

Job search sites have plenty of suggestions on how to spot the fake job offers. But some folks feel that these providers should be providing alot more than just some advice.

As for "Bobbie-Jean," Career Builder is looking into her situation with a possiblity of joining in her legal fight to clear her name.

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
Stay informed! Sign up to get expert advice and insight delivered direct to your inbox
More Insights