-
Step 1
If the "employer" wants to pay you before you start working, beware. One of the latest craigslist scams involves con artists posing as potential employers, sending would-be employees large checks before they even start working. These con artists tell the employees to cash the large check at their personal bank, keep their "wages" portion of the check, and send the remaining amount (usually several hundred dollars) to a third party. Employees eager to start working often cash these checks and send the money immediately. Within days, they find that the check was hot, and their bank account is hopelessly overdrawn. The only ones who make money with these fake jobs is the con artist.
-
Step 2
If the "employer" is looking for a babysitter or nanny, ask or suggest that your first meeting be in a public place (such as a park) so that you can get to know one another, and they can see how you'd get along with and interact with their child. If the employer insists on interviewing you in their home, get their address and drive by their home a day or two before interview. If something doesn't seem "right," such as they promise a very large weekly sum, but the home is in a lower class neighborhood... or the home doesn't look well-kept, be wary. There have been women who answer such ads who have ended up raped or murdered because the ads were posted on craigslist by criminals.
-
Step 3
If the job posting is for "entertainers" or "entertainment," and specify that prospective employees should be young and/or attractive, just move on. Don't bother responding to that ad. Gone are the days of shady characters loitering at bus stations: some pimps use craigslist to do their online recruiting.
Comments
Maggie25 said
on 12/4/2008 The first example actually happened to me. I had a weird feeling about it (trusted my gut) and researched it before I decided to do anything. Thank goodness I didn't cash that check! Great article!!