It seems as if job boards are getting more and more nefarious. To date, I've never had a legitimate recruiter contact me based on having my resume posted online. I have, however, received an abundance of nonsense scam emails.

A relatively new scam asks you to set-up Google Hangouts and contact the HR agent/manager, etc. I've posted a transcript of a recent email below. If we look at it carefully, you will see a variety of red-flags to run from.

• We'll start with the email. A legitimate recruiter will be associated with a reputable company. He or she will not be using a Gmail, yahoo or other free email address. A quality recruiter will take pride in his or her work and will flaunt that email address like a badge of honor. ~Remember to click on the address to see the real "from" address. ~Also notice the contact address does not match the "from" address. No assistant is going to reach out to you, then leave his or her boss out to dry by revealing the boss's address. ~Now about the "do not reply" instruction. What recruiter sends an email from a phantom email address, then asks you to contact him or her at a different address.
• The invitation to an online interview, set up by you, at a date and time set-up by them? Do you really think a hiring manager is going go to the trouble of setting an appointment for an interview, then sit around and wait for you to invite him or her to your Google Hangout?
• Watch for misspellings and grammar errors. Note that ZipRecruiter is in the email with incorrect capitalization.
• Also, the subject line of this email was "Resume Approved." When was the last time you submitted your resume for "approval"? Never? Safe bet this is nonsense.
• Job titles should be pretty specific and include a job description. What we have here is a bunch of keywords: "Administrative Executive/Administrative Assistant/Data Entry/Customer Service" *Google the company. Here the company is an Australian Firm. No Austrailian firm is going to recruit administrative staff in the U.S. *The final line makes it clear that this email originated from outside of the U.S. "Respond promptly if you choose to accept this proposition." ~First, there was no proposition ~Second, who talks like this? Nobody you know? So...Delete and block.

Personally, I removed the ability to view my resume from all of the job boards. Anyone who contacts me in this manner is up to no-good. If you want a quality job, you are going to have to go after it. No legitimate employment will fall in your lap by uploading your resume and waiting for the offers to come in.

Here is a transcript of the email I referenced above: Mastermyne HR