How to Identify a Fake Job Ad

Among the many job offers posted online, you may come across some fake job ads.

There are many sites that post ads that are only designed to collect data and use them in spam advertising or scams.

In many cases it doesn’t involve bank scams. But it’s still annoying when you think you’re submitting an online job application and then discover you’ve nothing to show for it. Here are some tips to help you identify all the fake job ads.

5 Ways to Spot a Fake Job Ad

1. Check the online company reputation: if the job ad includes a link to the company website, check it out. If you get an error page saying something like Site currently unavailable or Site under construction, then best not to trust it.
2. Look for an email address: there may not be a direct reference to the company’s site, but there might be an email address for submitting your application. Check that this is genuinely the email address of the company and not that of some generic provider.
3. Look for the company name online: before sending off your CV, do an online search to confirm that the company really exists. There are many ways to do this, one of which is to check whether the company has an official tax code. You can find out by checking the company’s business registration. This chamber of commerce certificate gives all the legal, financial and administrative details of the company. This way, you can assure yourself that the company really exists.
4. Make a phone call: In addition to the (possibly dubious) email address, there may be a phone number in the ad that you can call. Ask questions about the job vacancy and if something about the answers is unconvincing, just forget it.
5. Look for feedback: even a simple search on Google will reveal the reliability of a job ad. LinkedIn also has a forum section where you can ask questions. Check whether the company exists and if you have any doubts, ask a question in one of these forums.