Scammers are everywhere. They target anyone regardless of age, gender, or societal status. Online scams have been around ever since especially in this digital age. Now, fraudsters took advantage of this setup to scam online job applicants, especially if you are a newbie and an aspiring virtual assistant.

With remote work becoming prevalent after the pandemic occurred, freelancers had made it possible to communicate virtually with clients from any part of the world. Because of this, it is important for job seekers to be aware of the red flags.

Though job platforms such as Upwork, Onlinejobs.ph, Hubstaff Talent, and the likes are regulated, there are still scammers in these job boards. We want to ensure that we are applying for legitimate work despite the remote setup.

These are the 6 online job post red flags you should watch out for when applying.

1. Asking for payment/upfront fees

This is the usual way that fraudsters scam job applicants. When they ask you to shell out money before you do a test or get hired, run! You applied for that work to get paid for the services you rendered and should not be the other around.

2. Asking to do a trial task

Some clients do this to save money because you will do a task without getting paid. For some, they ask you to do a trial task or work for a certain period and afterwards, they will decide if they shall hire you or not based on the task you accomplished.

In this setup, you are the one at loss. You are not compensated with the time you spent and skills you gave away for that client. With this, always remember your worth. Your services are valuable and should not be given for free.

3. Asking for too much personal information

Be mindful when sending personal information in job applications. During the job application process, clients do not ask for much personal information unless you are hired. This actually depends as some clients do not anymore ask for personal data when you are hired. 

Also, beware when they ask you for bank account details and personal identification documents especially if they are not okay with blurring sensitive information. You might become a victim of identity theft or personal data being stolen.

4. Rate does not align with the job description

Some job posts have too much responsibilities and only pays you with a certain amount that does not compensate for the effort you give in that work. At times, they promise you growth in exchange with the low rate. On the other hand, there are jobs where the offer seems too good to be true.

When it comes to freelancing, know your worth. If you can confidently deliver the results, set the standard rate you desire. As a famous quote says, “Never settle for anything less than what you deserve.”

5. No LinkedIn Profile

Check the hiring manager’s LinkedIn profile when applying for job postings. For Onlinejobs.ph, this can be seen on the job poster’s name section. LinkedIn does not only exist for networking and content creation, but also for verifying the person’s credibility. A LinkedIn profile serves as a validation that you are communicating with a real client.

6. Company is not searchable and does not have a website

When you are checking if a client or employer is legit, search them on Google if their business name or website is existing. Having a website means that they are an operating business. If there’s none, then do not proceed with the application as they might just be a ghost client.

Conclusion

Being knowledgeable with the usual online job post red flags is a way for you not to get scammed. We are grateful that the internet exists for us to do research when applying for job applications.

So, if you find one or more red flags in online job posts, don’t waste your time and move on to the next.

Do you know of other online jobs post red flags that every applicant must be aware of?