Protect Yourself from Recruitment Fraud and Job Scams

Recruitment fraud is a scam technique being seen nationwide and is on the rise. In 2023, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) logged more than 100,000 complaints of business and job opportunity scams.

Scammers often advertise these fake jobs on popular online job sites, on social media, and through digital ads. Scammers reach out to job seekers via text, phone calls, and messaging apps. Often, the scammer will impersonate an actual employee of the organization they are pretending to be by using the employee’s name and even their photo. All of this is in an attempt to take job candidates’ money and personal information.

Common red flags

Recruitment scams can be difficult to spot because scammers often mimic legitimate recruiter tactics and use tools used similar to those used by real employers. The Federal Trade Commission offers helpful guidance on job scam warning signs and how to report them.

Here are some common red flags to watch for:

• An email from an address other than a company’s official domain
• Instructions to deposit a check or purchase equipment in advance
• A request for sensitive personal information such as a social security number or bank details early in the process
• A text message claiming your resume was found online
• The job is not posted on the company’s official career site
• The “recruiter” can’t answer basic questions about the job or avoid them entirely
• Pressure to respond quickly or take immediate action

For additional signs of potential job scams, view the FTC’s tips for spotting recruitment fraud.

What to do if you see a scam or have been a victim of recruitment fraud

If you’ve paid a scammer, immediately contact the company or service you used to make the payment. The FTC outlines next steps here you can take to protect yourself.

It’s important to report these job scams to the FTC. You may also report to your state attorney general.

Looking for a job with Adventist Health?

To help protect candidates, all applicants are required to apply through our our official careers site. All communication with our recruitment team will come from an official @ah.org or @jobs.adventisthealth.org email account and interviews may be conducted through one of the following methods:

• By phone
• Through our third-party scheduling application platform Vidcruiter no-reply@hiringplatform.com
• Via Microsoft Teams
• In person, depending on the location and the role

Adventist Health takes cybersecurity very seriously and has processes in place to identify, investigate, and report impersonation attempts. Each incident is reported to the FTC and the appropriate platforms, including any fraudulent domains or email addresses involved.

We are always looking for strong candidates and encourage you to apply for roles that match your experience while remaining vigilant and practicing good cybersecurity awareness throughout the job search process.