Online job searching has opened up a world of opportunities for job seekers. You can do everything from the comfort of home—from performing research to distributing resumes to submitting applications. Most companies prefer the online hiring process, too. It’s simply a more efficient way for both employers and employees to connect. But job-hunting online also has its drawbacks, including a much higher risk for resume identity theft. Identity thieves know that many job seekers are desperate, and are willing to provide whatever information is requested to secure an interview. The result can be financial ruin for a job seeker who has done nothing wrong other than try to adhere to application requirements. Follow these tips to prevent resume identity theft.

1. How
to
Prevent
Identity
Theft
During
Your
Job
Search
Online
job
searching
has
opened
up
a
world
of
opportunities
for
job
seekers.
You
can
do
everything
from
the
comfort
of
home—from
performing
research
to
distributing
resumes
to
submitting
applications.
Most
companies
prefer
the
online
hiring
process,
too.
It’s
simply
a
more
efficient
way
for
both
employers
and
employees
to
connect.
But
job-­‐hunting
online
also
has
its
drawbacks,
including
a
much
higher
risk
for
resume
identity
theft.
Identity
thieves
know
that
many
job
seekers
are
desperate,
and
are
willing
to
provide
whatever
information
is
requested
to
secure
an
interview.
The
result
can
be
financial
ruin
for
a
job
seeker
who
has
done
nothing
wrong
other
than
try
to
adhere
to
application
requirements.
Thieves
use
a
variety
of
tactics
to
commit
resume
identity
theft:
• Collecting
your
personal
information:
Identity
thieves
will
gather
as
much
information
from
you
as
they
can.
If
you
use
a
job
site
that
allows
you
to
post
your
resume,
you’re
at
risk
for
identity
theft
because
anyone
with
a
profile
can
access
it.
It
just
takes
a
keyword
search
and
a
quick
look
at
your
resume
to
collect
your
name,
address,
phone
number,
former
employers,
and
any
other
personal
data
you’ve
included.
• Fake
job
listings:
Identity
thieves
also
create
fake
job
listings
to
gather
job
seekers’
personal
information.
They
may
even
take
it
as
far
as
to
have
an
online
interview
with
you.
Before
offering
you
the
position,
they
will
ask
for
some
type
of
verification
(such
as
a
bank
statement
or
utility
bill).
They
then
use
this
information
to
access
your
identity
and
their
scam
is
off
and
running.
• Unemployment
scams:
These
prey
on
people
who
are
desperate
to
earn
money
while
they’re
out
of
work.
They
offer
to
help
you
file
for
unemployment,
only
to
steal
your
Social
Security
number,
date
of
birth,
and
other
personal
information
to
hijack
your
identity.

2.
Protecting
Yourself
From
Resume
Identity
Theft
Before
you
apply
for
a
job,
do
a
little
research
on
the
company
to
make
sure
it
even
exists.
Does
it
have
a
website
and/or
a
social
media
presence?
How
does
the
information
on
the
website
compare
to
the
job
description?
Also,
never
give
out
your
personal
information
to
companies
online—regardless
of
whether
they
say
it’s
necessary
for
the
job.
An
employer
should
never
need
your
Social
Security
number,
driver’s
license
number,
or
other
personal
information
before
meeting
with
you
in
person.
If
you
will
be
working
remotely,
you
should
at
least
have
a
phone
interview
and
a
signed
job
offer
before
sharing
your
information.
You
leave
yourself
vulnerable
to
identity
theft
when
you
provide
the
following
types
of
information
on
your
resume
or
on
a
job
application
online:
• Social
Security
number
• Date
of
birth
• Gender
• Mother’s
maiden
name
• Marital
status
• Driver’s
license
number
• The
year
you
graduated
school
and
the
name
of
the
school
• Professional
license
number
Tips
for
Safe
Online
Job
Searching
Watch
out
for
these
resume
identity
theft
red
flags
as
you
perform
your
job
search:
• If
an
employer
requests
your
Social
Security
number
on
an
online
job
application,
contact
the
company
to
ask
why
it
needs
this
information
just
to
process
the
application.
Explain
that
you
will
provide
it
following
the
interview
and
a
firm
job
offer.
• Contact
the
company
directly
from
its
website
and/or
verify
its
corporate
phone
number,
and
always
make
sure
the
person
interviewing
you
actually
works
there.
• Look
at
the
email
address
of
the
person
requesting
your
information.
If
the
domain
name
doesn’t
match
the
company,
it
is
unlikely
that
he/she
works
for
the
company.
Above
all,
be
cautious
and
don’t
be
too
quick
to
provide
your
personal
information
during
an
online
job
search.
It
can
be
a
frustrating
process
already;
the
last
thing
you
want
to
do
is
become
yet
another
victim
of
resume
identity
theft.
Remember
that
you
should
always
be
researching
companies
as
much
as
they’re
researching
you.

3. We
recommend
that
you
be
proactive
and
protect
your
identity
before,
during,
and
after
a
job
search
by
signing-­‐up
with
ID
Theft
Solutions,
the
only
identity
theft
protection
company
that
restores
your
identity
back
to
pre-­‐theft
status
when
it’s
stolen.
You
can
also
connect
with
us
here
at
www.TheIdentityAdvocate.com
to
learn
more
about
protecting
yourself
and
your
family
from
identity
theft.