To steer clear of fraudulent business opportunities, follow these tips:

• Don't get involved with an employer that can't make its business model perfectly clear to you or one that's willing to hire you without even a phone interview.
  
  
• Never give your bank account, PayPal, credit card or Social Security numbers to an employer whose legitimacy you cannot independently verify. These numbers can be used to steal from you or launder funds stolen from others.
  
  
• Do your own research -- via the Internet or with a business librarian's help -- on any employer that makes you feel at all uneasy.
  
  
• Rational people can make irrational decisions when under stress. If you are in financial trouble, recognize your vulnerability and think twice before you make matters worse by getting involved in a suspicious employment scheme.

Report Scams and Learn More

• Learn more about how to keep yourself safe while searching for jobs on Monster.
  
  
• Report a suspected scam to Monster.
  
  
• Learn more about scams from the US Secret Service Financial Crimes Division.
  
  
• Report a suspected money-laundering scam to the US Secret Service.
  
  
• Report a suspected reshipping scam to the US Postal Inspection Service.

For more information on how to stay safe in your job search, visit Monster's Be Safe page. You can also check out LooksTooGoodToBeTrue.com.

Additional Articles in This Feature

• A Safe Job Search home
• Do You Suspect You’re a Victim of Identity Theft?
• Managing Your Monster Profile and Other Online Account Credentials
• Money-Laundering and Reshipping Scams
• Recognize Business-Opportunity Fraud
• Protect Your Info
• Avoid Work-at-Home Job Scams
• Network Safely Online
• Federal and Postal Job Scams
• Medical-Billing Opportunities?
• Monster's Security Center