Job banks have made searching for employment easier and faster. But they’ve also made it easier and faster for identity thieves to prey on job seekers.
Most job banks screen employers and recruiters. But the anonymity of the Internet makes it easy for identity thieves to impersonate them. These phone employers then post fraudulent job openings in an attempt to steal personal information.
Identity thieves asking for personal information has nothing to do with landing a job, but everything to do with stealing your identity. It’s normal for a potential employer to ask you for your mailing address, phone number, education, experience, skills, desired salary, and past and present employment history.
It’s not normal, however, for an employer to ask for information not related to seeking employment. To avoid identity theft, do not give out your Social Security number, driver’s license number, credit or bank account numbers, tax forms, birth date, age, gender, hair and eye color, weight and height, or marital status and number of children.
An employer will need some of this information after you are hired, but should only seek it after you have been hired or if he is highly interested in hiring you. Until then, an employer has no right to ask for such information.
A legitimate employer may ask for your Social Security number or some other personal information on a job application, but if you’re filling in the job application in person, and not online, there’s likely no need to worry about identity theft in this scenario.
Some recruiters may conduct background checks on behalf of employers. A genuine recruiter provides an official authorization form from a verifiable background check agency, which you will be asked to complete and return to the recruiter’s place of business. A copy of the completed form will be provided to you by the agency.
Does all of this mean you shouldn’t trust job banks? Of course not. They are an integral part of job searching. If you exclude them, you are cutting your chances of finding a job.
But you should proceed with caution. Most job banks offer privacy options. You should take advantage of those options.
