Part-time seasonal work is a great way to make some extra money during the holidays but the Better Business Bureau is cautioning workers not to be taken advantage of this Holiday Season.
“Employers desperately need workers since it’s going to be one of the shortest holiday retail seasons in many years,” said Hannah Stiff, BBB Montana Marketplace director. “People may not be taking as much time as they should be looking at offers, and con artists know that too.”
Scammers take advantage of the need for holiday workers and have created “spoofed” websites that look like legitimate employers. Those sites can trick people into giving up personal information.
Legitimate businesses will never ask for payment for a job. Beware if the site is asking for processing fees for their application, training fees or needing to pay for job supplies.
If possible, the person should go into the retailer to fill out an application or call the business to ask if the job listing was legitimate. Stiff says to be especially be wary of job opportunities that seem too good to be true.
“A lot of people, from our Scam Tracker reports, are falling for these jobs with way higher salaries or hourly wages than would be appropriate,” said Stiff. “If it seems like you’re being over compensated for a position, that’s problematic.”
Stiff added that people should also look out for jobs that don’t have an interview process. Even during the peak of hiring season, employers will still want an in person or over the phone interview.
Additionally, legitimate companies will also never ask for a person to complete complex projects before making an official offer.
More information about holiday hiring scams can be found here.
