CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Nov. 6, 2024 - PRLog -- Market My Market, a full-service digital marketing agency based in Charlotte, NC, and Orlando, FL, is responding to a rash of job-related scams that have misled individuals about employment opportunities.

In a recent CBS News article, the Better Business Bureau outlined the rise of remote job opportunity scams. In one instance, an individual received an unsolicited text about a job opportunity and was asked to conduct an interview via a messaging platform like WhatsApp. The scam progressed as the person was instructed to create a cryptocurrency account, which the fraudsters then accessed and exploited.

Last week, Market My Market encountered a job-related scam in which malicious actors hijacked a legitimate job posting for a remote Content Writer position. They created an email address using a fake domain that included "marketmymarket," allowing them to trick job seekers into an expedited interview process and immediate job offer. From there, they began their efforts to defraud the individual by requesting personal and banking information.

"I have more choice words for what I think about these scammers, but for the sake of my opinion on the matter being accessible in all channels, these nefarious activities are reprehensible, and we as an organization feel it is important to share as much information as possible for job hopefuls to educate them on what to look for and stay vigilant in their search for their next role," said Ryan Klein, CEO and Founder of Market My Market. "It's tough enough that people are working so hard to find their next job. The fact that they get the impression they found that dream job and it was all a façade—I can't imagine. We empathize with that and want to help the community both locally and nationwide to never find themselves in this situation."

Erin Gough, Director of Operations at Market My Market, is taking proactive steps by offering free resume and job-hunting consultations to those who contacted Market My Market after learning the job they applied for was a hoax.

"Applying for new job opportunities is an inherently vulnerable act that requires putting a lot of faith and trust in people you do not yet have a relationship with. These scammers took advantage of that. We want to do what we can to return the human element to this process so that those who had a bad experience can reinvigorate their job hunt with renewed confidence," says Gough.

According to the CBS News article, here are a few key tips to avoid falling victim to job-related scams:

• Never pay money upfront for a job opportunity.
• Be cautious if a potential employer texts or uses social media to conduct a job interview rather than in person or on a video communication service like Zoom.
• Always research the company being referenced and attempt to verify the opportunity by contacting the company directly yourself.

• Verify that the individuals offering the job are listed in the "Team" section of the company's official website or have a LinkedIn profile that accurately reflects their role within the company. This can help ensure you're dealing with legitimate representatives.
• Ensure the person you're communicating with uses an email address that properly represents the company's domain. While a Gmail or Yahoo email isn't always cause for concern, be cautious if the company's official website uses a .com domain but the email address comes from a .biz or another unrelated extension. This discrepancy could be a red flag and worth further investigation.
• If a company's hiring page states that interviews are conducted on a platform like Zoom, but you're scheduled for one on a different platform, such as Microsoft Teams, this inconsistency could be cause for concern.