5 Ways to Spot Recruitment Fraud

While the world of remote work and opportunities has opened doors for many job seekers, it has unfortunately given scammers a whole new way to try to take advantage of those looking for a job.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, job scammers will start their scam by promising a job. But what they really want is your money and personal information. As these scammers become more sophisticated, it’s important to stay vigilant and keep an eye out for red flags. Here are some ways to avoid recruitment fraud and protect your personal information.

Asking for money or payments

Centene will never request money from candidates or send checks to candidates to purchase equipment like laptops or other technology. Centene provides employees with either a laptop or desktop needed to complete their role. If someone asks you for sensitive, personal information (by text message or email), we recommend that you assume the individual is not affiliated with Centene and flag the communication as spam, and report the incident at Recruiting@centene.com.

Asking for personal information right away

Centene will never request sensitive information during the application process. This includes bank account information, social security number, or other non-publicly available information, Centene only asks for contact information including name, address, phone and email address on the initial application. If an offer of employment is extended, Centene does have a background check process where additional information will be asked for through our background check supplier.

Research the company and the person who reaches out

If you receive an unsolicited email or text message for a job that you don’t remember applying to, it is best to research the company and/or the person who reaches out. This can ensure the company, role and recruiter are all legitimate. You can start with a simple internet search for the company and person.  And if you are ever in doubt, there should be a method to contact the organization, such as Centene’s Recruiting@centene.com.

Communication platform

Centene recruiters do not communicate over apps such as Whatsapp® or other messenger services. Centene recruiters may initially reach out on LinkedIn or another social media channel, but all official communication will take place over email from an official Centene email address (name@centene.com).

Trust your gut

If there is anything that makes you take pause, it may be time to do a bit more research or reach out to confirm the person is accurately representing themselves. If a job seems too good to be true, it may just be that it is. Scammers will often present a job opportunity with a too-good-to-be-true salary for only a few hours a week. If you see a salary 100 times the industry standard with little to no skill requirement, it may be fraudulent.

At Centene, the security of our employees and candidates is a priority. If someone asks you for sensitive information, we recommend that you assume that the individual is not affiliated with Centene, flag the communication as spam, and report to us at Recruiting@centene.com.