Responding to a growing problem, online job site Monster.com is warning new and existing users about phony job listings that are being used to steal personal information from job seekers.
The company has posted a warning on its Web site that read, in part:
"Regrettably, from time to time, false job listings are listed online and used to illegally collect personal information from unsuspecting job seekers."
The message goes on to warn users not to provide prospective employers with any information that is not pertinent to the job opening. Social security numbers, credit card numbers and personal information not related to one's work history should not be disclosed, the message said. (See http://help.monster.com/besafe.)
That Web page was posted approximately four months ago, according to Kevin Mullins, a spokesman for Monster.com.
Monster.com also sent a copy of the message to each of its active users in an e-mail message on Thursday, according to Mullins.
In addition, an e-mail message greeting new Monster.com users also contains a warning to "always be safe when searching for a job." A link to the company's statement regarding identity theft is also provided.
Thursday's e-mail was not prompted by a particular incident or warning, according to Mullins.
"It's all part of the our BeSafe campaign to educate users about the problem [of identity theft], which is an extremely rare problem. It's just a general reminder," Mullins said.
Online job hunting message boards such as Monster.com, a subsidiary of TMP Worldwide, and Careerbuilder.com have come under scrutiny in the past for poorly protecting the personal information of those who post resumes on the sites.
In a letter by the nonprofit Privacy Rights Clearinghouse to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairman Timothy J. Muris dated Feb. 19, the government agency was asked to take action on a number of abuses including:
-- the sale of job-seeker e-mail addresses, registration data and job seeker resumes
-- the resale of resumes and resume information to employers, bogus recruiters, and startup job sites
The letter's authors, including Pam Dixon, a research fellow with the Denver-based Privacy Foundation, recommended that the FTC look in to reforming, and even regulating the job search industry to better protect the privacy of job searchers.
"I think the Monster.com notice was welcome, but long overdue,"
That act, an acronym for Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism, mandates that companies in a variety of industries verify the identity of prospective employees and customers, confirming that they are not members of known terrorist organizations.
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