OFW guide: How to avoid scams when searching for jobs online

More and more people are relying on the Internet when looking for jobs. The career site Beyond.com said 77 percent of jobseekers in the United States are using mobile apps to access the Internet in searching for jobs. A joint study by the Universities of Califonia and Colorado, on the other hand, found that unemployed people who do an online job search find a job 25 percent faster than those who rely only on offline resources. Unfortunately, scammers have developed online schemes to dupe unsuspecting workers searching for jobs on the Internet. The Philippine Overseas Employment Agency has compiled a list of tips for jobseekers for a safe Internet job search: (1) Find the company's website One of the first things to do when you find a job listing online is to verify if the company has a legitimate website. Dubious companies will most likely not have a website. Once you find a company's website, check the profile, about us, and contact information page. You should especially double check if there is a listed company address. A company that doesn't have this on its website is usually a tell-tale sign that it is a sham. (2) Examine a website's content They say that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. However, in this case, the better the company website looks, the higher the chances are that it isn't a scam site. Check the links and content partners of the website, if any. “A legitimate company would not mind spending a large amount of money to have a website designed beautifully as the same serves as the business’s window to the world,” the POEA said. (3) Be wary of hard copies Companies operating on the Internet would like to operate consistently through online means. A company asking you to send resumes and application papers through snail mail should raise a red flag. (4) Be skeptical of job offers If the company offers a luxurious salary with other perks and benefits, be extra careful in dealing with that job. Usually, if an offer is too good to be true, it probably is a scam, trying to lure you to shell out your hard earned cash in exchange for nothing. (5) Countercheck The POEA also advises you to use search engines to check the website of the company that you are looking to get a job in. Doing web searches will allow you to check if there are other websites carrying the company's name. If those similar sites carry the same offers, you should be alarmed and consider your next moves carefully. Web searches also let you see if there are existing complaints against the company from others who have already been scammed. - Andrei Medina, VVP, GMA News