Job scams are surprisingly smart. Here’s how to not get burned.

A common job scam is personal information phishing, where a supposed employer asks for your social security number or banking information for direct deposits. — Image by rawpixel.com on Freepik

Last fall, Aaron Perkowitz applied for a job as a technical writer. The hirer asked him to compose a paid test article – and when he finished, requested his banking information, to pay him.

Perkowitz asked why so much information was needed – couldn’t they just mail a cheque? No response. “The article took me three hours,” he says, “but I’m glad I didn’t fall for their scam.”