By Kim Wilhelm (WICHITA, Kan.)
With so many people looking for work right now, there's bound to be scammers looking to take advantage. Amanda Corbin found out first-hand. Corbin lost her job two months ago when a national company downsized. She posted her resume on careerbuilder.com and got an immediate response.
"It looked legitimate," said Corbin. "It looked like a job from a local company."
But Corbin soon realized it was a scam - an attempt to get her personal information. She already feels uneasy because the scammers have her resume which contain her name, address, work history and telephone number.
Corbin thought she was safe because she was on a reputable career website. But in the last few years, job sites like Monster.com, CareerBuilder.com and HotJobs.com have warned of fake job postings.
So how do you spot them?
*Don't give bank information or your social security number. Most employers only ask for this information after a formal job interview.
*Do your homework - research the company online or check with the Better Business Bureau.
*Be wary of "work at home" offers.
On that note - while driving around Wichita, we noticed a sign that read "Earn Extra Income" and gave a Wichita phone number. We called it to see whether the business was legitimate.
"There are a lot of skeptical people because of all the scams," said Mark Suffield. Suffield and his wife sell nutritional products. He met with us to talk about his products and the challenge of getting others to sell.
"What I like to do is meet with people one on one," said Suffield. "Then they can go on the internet and we can give them information just to get rid of that skepticism."
If a sign like his gets your attention, make sure to check out the business and ask plenty of questions. Legitimate businesses expect it.
