I am a huge advocate of Craigslist, even though about 50-60% of the posts are scams. But there are REAL posts made by REAL people, and it has helped me a lot in the past.
But I have come across this and my boyfriend has too, where a job post will *seem* genuine because there is a. Gmail account to those who actually want to look into it. I emailed [email protected] about a bartending position in my area and my first indication that it was a scam was how quickly I got a response. Most "normal" people don't check their email a thousand time a day (like I do) and I would not normally receive an immediate reply.
I guess my first indication should have been that there was no company name attached to the original Craigslist post, but sometimes I give people the benefit of the doubt.
The second indication was the content of the email itself. It read:
"Thank you for your interest in our Bartender position! In order to
expedite the hiring process, please fill out our online application at
the link below.
Http://popupcareers.com/? 51108
Attach a resume, if available. Once completed, your information will be forwarded to management for review. We will contact you in a few days.
We are a strong supporter of education. Therefore, if you are currently in school or interested in furthering your education, please indicate so on your application.
—
Becca Mason"
First, if it was from a "real" person, they would have addressed me by name in their response.
Second, the fact that there is a "—" at the end before her name tells me that there is an auto-reply just putting these peoples' names in their html. Coding.
Third, there was no company name.
I did click the link and it took me immediately to this site:
Http://popupcareers.com/joboffer/register. Cfm? Jobpositionid=51108
If you notice at the bottom there is a check-box asking you if you would like text message notification. I have come across this site before, and every time I get to this page that box is ALWAYS automatically checked. Also at the bottom, it tries to sell you continued education. I'm all for continued education, but a "real" job application should not include anything except information about the job you are applying for. They are trying to sell you on something you didn't even ask for. That is the TRUE sign of a scam.
If you continue on through the application process, each page asks you something more detailed about yourself in which a REAL job application would never be interested in. You are forced to page through several pages of "yes/no" check boxes of different offers, like magazine subscriptions and surveys.
DO NOT FILL OUT THE APPLICATION! I never filled out everything, but definitely paged through to make sure my doubt was correct. From me to you, I was right. Don't fall for it and get yourself in privacy trouble.
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