Employment scams are promising more than they can offer

Can you earn $33 an hour for an administrative assistant job? An Albuquerque woman who found such an offer while doing an online job search is highly skeptical.

“I am looking for an administrative assistant/secretarial/clerical position and would be happy to earn that much, but realistically I know the pay for such is around $10-$12 hour,” she said.

While there are many legitimate businesses using online sites to find employees, it’s good to remember that if you take that route, you should use precaution so you don’t get ripped off or have your identity stolen.

Some advertised positions are more likely to be scams than others, according to Craigslist. The site advises being extra cautious about ads for jobs with generic, vague titles. That would include administrative assistant or customer service representatives.

“These often don’t require special training or licensing, so they appeal to a wide range of applicants,” Craigslist says.

Raise an eyebrow if you see phrases like “no experience needed,” “teleworking OK” or “immediate start,” or if there’s a sense of urgency advising you to apply immediately.

Also, beware of claims of high pay for little effort — “work only hours a week,” for example.

Another tip-off: the supposed employer travels a lot and will find it difficult to meet you in person.

And that brings up something else that’s common in a wide range of scams: Is the ad riddled with grammatical errors, strange sentences and typos? Another reason to run in the other direction.

Craiglist recommends taking the extra step of searching for the company and its job opening on Google. “If the result comes up in many other cities with the exact same job post, it is likely a scam,” Craigslist says.

As always, be hyper-vigilant about requests that you disclose personal information or hand over money. Bogus employers might ask for these details under the guise of running a credit check, setting up direct deposit or paying for training.

You also should be able to ask and get answers from a prospective employer about what the job entails. Some suggested questions:

What tasks will I have to perform? Ask the employer or the contact for a detailed list of job duties.

Will compensation be based on a salary, hourly wage or on a commission?

Who will pay me, and when will I get my first paycheck?

Remember that if you’re unsure, you can always call the business to ask about the position. But find the contact information independently rather than relying on websites or phone numbers listed in the advertisement.

As for posting your résumé online, never include your driver’s license number, bank account and credit card information, passwords or date of birth, advises Monster, another employment website.

Don’t fall for a call regarding supposed changes to one of your accounts. It goes like this: a very serious-sounding man tells you “they” (doesn’t say who) have tried but failed to get your signature on certified documents regarding your account (doesn’t say which.)

The guy then asks that you or your legal representative contact him, at this number: 509-588-1437.

Don’t do it.