There are two main types of scams, job hunting and employment scams, which may sound like the same thing but they each have a different modus operandi.
The most common fraud associated with job hunting involves the request of a deposit, which is most commonly associated with work-at-home opportunities. In these types of scams, the 'employer' says that a deposit is needed to start work, usually for 'supplies and/or training materials'.
The most important thing to remember is that you should never have to pay anything to get a job. Think about the logic, you work to get paid not the other way around.
In employment swindles, which usually involve the criminal attempting to get hold of your personal details, and are usually focused around offering work-from-home opportunities, the scammer offers a job that does not exist.
The 'employer' will then ask you to fill out documentation or ask you for your bank account information to set up direct deposit for work done. Once they have your personal information, you are not likely to hear from them again. However, you may now end up with an identity theft problem.
If a job sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Be cautious of jobs that 'only a certain number of openings left', have strange or free email URL's or require you to meet the prospective 'employer' at strange times and unusual places.
Sharon Knowles, head of operations at Kalahari Ads provides some top tips to online job seekers: