Scam of the Week: Online job fraud

The Scam: Online job scams/ID thieves
The Targets: Anyone looking online for a job
The Hook: In one such scam, you're offered a job by an online "employer", who then asks you for your bank account number to deposit your check. No check arrives - and your account is emptied. Variation: You're asked for your Social Security number and other personal information, and thieves use that to obtain credit cards in your name.
How to avoid being victimized: Be wary of giving out such personal information online. Consider posting your resume more anonymously, using an email address as the point of contact. Read the FBI's Cautionary Tale about job-hunting online. If you fall prey, close the affected accounts immediately, contact the three major credit bureaus and report the case to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.