Perhaps you've seen the advertisements in the classified section
of the newspapers advertising job vacancies with the U.S. Government or
U.S. Postal Service. Scam artists behind these ads offer, for a fee, to
help job seekers find and apply for federal jobs. Some companies try to
confuse consumers by using names that sound like government agencies,
such as, "U.S. Agency for Career Advancement," or the "Postal
Employment Service." Consumers should know that information about
federal job vacancies are available free from the federal government.
Federal agencies and the U.S. Postal Service never charge
application fees, sell study guides for job tests, or guarantee that an
applicant will be hired. If positions require a competitive examination
- and many do not -the federal agencies doing the hiring usually offer
free sample questions to applicants who sign up for the exam.
To help you recognize federal job scams, the Better Business
Bureau, along with the Federal Trade Commission, suggest you be aware
of the following types of ads or techniques used by scam artists.
- Ads that offer information about "hidden" or unadvertised federal jobs.
- Ads
that refer to a toll-free phone number. Often in these cases, an
operator encourages you to buy a "valuable" booklet containing job
listings, practice test questions, and tips for entrance exams.
- Classified
ads or oral sales pitches that imply an affiliation with the federal
government, guarantee high test scores or jobs, or state that "no
experience is necessary."
- Toll-free numbers that direct
you to other pay-per-call numbers for more information. Under federal
law, any solicitations for pay-per-call numbers must contain full
disclosures about cost. Also the solicitation must make clear if there
is an affiliation with the federal government. You must have a chance
to hang up before you incur any charges.
If you have
questions about a company's advertisement for employment services, contact your
Better Business Bureau, the Federal Trade Commission, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service
or your state attorney general.