Posting résumés online has risks

By Marshall Loeb
CBS MarketWatch

NEW YORK — Job seekers posting their résumés online should protect themselves from fraudsters posing as employers.

Online recruiting sites are beginning to report that third parties are using information from résumés to take advantage of people looking for jobs, according to Consumer Reports.

Many people are looking for employment with legitimate online recruiting services such as CareerBuilder.com, HotJobs.com and Monster.com. But some job seekers are falling prey to Internet con artists.

A common scam involves e-mails from phony employers with fake jobs or "work from home" opportunities. Job hunters should never pay initial fees or respond to online pre-employment background check before face-to-face interviews. They also shouldn't have to pay for job placement — most bona fide placement companies pass this expense onto employers.

It's also best not to include your birthday, Social Security number, home address or phone number on a résumé you post online. To make sure you don't give out information that can be used fraudulently, post anonymously by using an e-mail address provided by the job recruiting Web site.