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Avoid job-hunt scams

With unemployment on the rise, a new crop of job-hunting scams has hit the streets, says certified fraud specialist Judd Rousseau. He cautions job seekers to watch out for these three ruses that identity thieves are using to gain access to important personal and financial information:

Stimulus come-ons. Ignore e-mails or letters from phony government agencies enticing you with "job openings" associated with the federal stimulus plan. The government is recruiting, but not via this method.

Bogus interview invites. An e-mail from a corporate site invites you to a distant city for an interview. Your travel costs won't be paid, but you're encouraged to arrange discounted travel through a "corporate office." This ploy nabs credit card and other information.

Bad guys on good sites. Even legitimate job-search sites have been hit with scammers. For that reason, never include any personal information -- even your address -- on a résumé that you post online or send via e-mail. Save any e-mail exchanges that you have, and ask a potential employer to contact you by phone or to interview you in person.