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Employment Fraud: Protecting Yourself from Scams

How to identify fake recruiter messages, avoid job scams, and protect your personal information

The prevalence of job scams and phishing schemes continues to increase across the staffing and recruitment industry. Unfortunately, fraudsters are unlawfully using the Doherty Staffing Solutions name and logo in their deceptive practices. These individuals pose as Doherty recruiters, falsely promising job opportunities that do not exist. Their goal is to exploit unsuspecting job seekers by collecting sensitive personal information such as Social Security or banking numbers or even requesting money from their victims. As a reputable, family-owned staffing firm with over 45 years in business, Doherty Staffing Solutions will never request payment in exchange for a job opportunity. We take matters related to fraudulent messages with the utmost seriousness and are committed to maintaining the integrity of our communications and ensuring the security of our interactions with candidates, clients, and partners.

What Doherty Staffing Solutions Will Never Do

  • Contact you via a personal email address. All email correspondence from our recruiters will come from a verified @doherty.com email address.
  • Contact candidates via WhatsApp. Doherty does not use WhatsApp to communicate with candidates.
  • Ask for personal details through text message or WhatsApp. We will never request banking information, your full Social Security number, or other sensitive data via text or messaging apps. For select contract roles, you may be asked for the last four digits of your Social Security number along with your date of birth (MM/DD). If personal details are requested via email, that communication will always come from a verified @doherty.com address.
  • Charge candidates any fee. Doherty will never charge a fee to work with us or for training opportunities.

 

What a Fraudulent Text Message may look like

The following image is a collection of some of the ones sent in fraudulent text messages to dozens of individuals who alerted us about spam and our company name being utilized without our consent. Generative AI (LLMs) have made these types of scams easier due to the realistic image generation options now available.

Spoofed Doherty SMS Spam Image Collage

 

What to Do If You Suspect Fraud If you believe you have been contacted by someone impersonating a Doherty Staffing Solutions employee, please consider taking the following steps:

  1. Notify Doherty Staffing Solutions directly. Please contact us if you receive any suspicious communications that reference Doherty Staffing Solutions, including requests for personal information or payment through email, instant messaging, or social media.
  2. If contacted on LinkedIn, report the profile as fake. Instructions on how to do so can be found on the https://www.linkedin.com/help.
  3. If contacted on WhatsApp or via text and the communication is confirmed fraudulent, block and report the number. Instructions can be found on the https://faq.whatsapp.com page.
  4. Report the fraudulent contact to the Federal Trade Commission. You can file a report at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov.

 

Additional Resources

If you may have been affected by a recruitment scam or fraudulent message, we encourage you to review the steps above to help protect yourself, report suspicious activity, and find support as you move forward.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How can I verify if a message from Doherty Staffing Solutions is legitimate?
A: Always check the sender's email address; legitimate communications will come from a verified @doherty.com address. Doherty will never contact candidates via WhatsApp or request sensitive personal details like full Social Security numbers or banking information through text or messaging apps.
Q: What personal information will Doherty Staffing Solutions never request?
A: Doherty Staffing Solutions will never ask for your full Social Security number or banking information via text message or WhatsApp. Additionally, they will never request any payment in exchange for a job opportunity or training.
Q: Does Doherty Staffing Solutions use WhatsApp or personal email addresses for recruitment?
A: No, Doherty Staffing Solutions does not use WhatsApp to communicate with candidates. All official email correspondence from their recruiters will originate from a verified @doherty.com email address, not a personal one.
Q: What steps should I take if I suspect I've received a fraudulent message impersonating Doherty Staffing Solutions?
A: If you suspect fraud, immediately notify Doherty Staffing Solutions directly. You should also report the fake profile or number on the respective platform (LinkedIn, WhatsApp, etc.) and file a report with the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
Q: Will Doherty Staffing Solutions ever charge a fee to candidates for job opportunities or training?
A: No, Doherty Staffing Solutions explicitly states that they will never charge candidates any fee to work with them or for any training opportunities. Any request for payment is a clear sign of a scam.
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