The more desperate job hunters become, the more risks they may be prepared to take. That often means providing potential employers or recruiters with a wealth of personal information, including name, home address, date and place of birth, entire work history and even Social Security numbers.

If you’re hunting for a job, providing this kind of information can expose you to enormous risk.  At the very least, you don’t know who else is going to have access to that information, where it’s going to be kept, how it’s going to be protected, and how long it will be kept on record.

And one of the most popular targets for identity thieves is the job fair. Job fairs are often targeted by identity thieves as an easy way to “collect” multiple potential victims in the one place and at the one time. A convincing recruiter can easily persuade dozens if not hundreds of job seekers to hand over all this sensitive information with absolutely no knowledge of who they’re handing it to.

And sometimes the thieves will even come looking for you. A television station in Seattle Washington recently ran a story of how an aspiring singer who did a very convincing tribute to rock band AC/DC was approached by someone offering a paid opportunity to tour with AC/DC, a signing bonus of $17,000, and a recording contract with Columbia Records.

According to the singer, all the contracts and other documentation seemed so legitimate, he willingly parted with all is personal information, including Social Security number. He never heard from the individuals again, leaving him to assume that they will hang on to this goldmine of financial information until they think he’s dropped his guard, then use it to wreak havoc on his identity and finances.

Lessons learned?

• Be careful who you share your resume with. If approached by a recruiter or potential employer, ask for a business card first so you can check them out before you share your resume.

• Never provide your Social Security number, for a background check, for example, until you know it’s a legitimate offer from a legitimate employer. They won’t run a background check on you until they’re serious about hiring you.

• If you have to post your resume online, keep it as brief as possible. Don’t include home address, place of birth or any other information a prospective employer doesn’t need in order to want to talk to you.

RELATED STORY: Singer’s Dream Come True Really Part Of Elaborate ID Theft Scam

http://www.kirotv.com/news/24248707/detail.html

Related posts:

1. The Tax Man Cometh (and identity thieves are not far behind)
2. The IDGuardian Podcast: Episode #011 — Identity Theft Against the Elderly
3. Why Identity Protection for Kids Matters
4. Identity Theft Targeting the Elderly
5. The Taxman (and Identity Theives) Cometh: The “Tax Tip Thursday” Edition