As a service to our job-seeking Flight Attendants and anyone seeking a corporate aviation or corporate pilot job, we wanted to make this Public Service Announcement regarding several scams we've been alerted to that are currently out there in the industry. BizJetJobs.com works hard to make sure all of our Employers are fully vetted and are posting legitimate aviation positions. We are pleased to report that among the thousands of job postings we receive every week, and the hundreds of thousands we've posted over the years, there have only been a handful of fishy-seeming ones, and we've dealt with them immediately. But remember that online schemes do exist, and can slip past even the most thorough checks and balances. For example, BizJetJobs recently had someone gain access to a well-known charter company’s email address and post jobs as that charter company. This impostor was telling Flight Attendants they had to pay for their training, and asking for payment in advance. As soon as the breach was discovered, we removed all of this impostor's jobs from our site. We worked closely with the employer to ensure all issues were resolved regarding their job postings. Because these situations do arise every once in a while, we wanted to share some ways you can spot them right away. Please report any fishy-seeming contacts you receive from any of our employers so that we can deal with them directly.
#1 Tip: NEVER Wire Money
As a general rule of thumb, NEVER send money to an employer to secure an interview, a seat on a plane, training, travel accommodations or anything else. If anyone ever asks you to do this, it's a huge red flag. You never have to pay to get a job, and any employer worth his or her salt will never ask you to do so. There might be a promise of reimbursement after the interview, making it seem to that you will only be out of pocket for a few days. Other promises from the so-called employer might be high pay, exotic locales, first-class accommodations, etc. Once the job-seeking flight attendant or pilot has wired the money, one of two things will happen:
- all contact will cease, or
- you will be told there has been a change of plans.
Read more specifics on the Snopes.com article FACT CHECK: Employment Airfare Scam.
More Tips: How to Avoid Fraudulent Employers
- Some scam artists operate under business names that can be confused with those of long-standing, reputable firms. Some will pose as an actual reputable company. So always do your research. Ask to see their company website, ask about anything that seems suspicious and look up both company and employee names online. Take special note if their name pops up on Snopes.com or other reputable job-seeker forums. Learn everything you can about them, as if they're your potential future spouse. Do not be lulled into a false sense of security by official-sounding corporate names.
- Remember that we do have many high-net-worth private aircraft owners who advertise positions using BizJetJobs.com. These employers won't have much in the way of official websites or collateral to show you. These can be among the best jobs in the industry, but you'll need to be on high alert for anything that seems off.
- Any employer truly interested in you will cover all costs related to your hire. Never pay a company to hire you, not even if such payment is presented as a “proof of candidate’s seriousness.” Never send money to anyone who says they are interested in offering you a job. Disbelieve even the most earnest of claims that you will be reimbursed later on.
- Remember, that while a charge made against a credit card can be disputed and a check can have a stop-payment order issued against it. But once cash is out the door, it is gone forever. Since wiring money via companies like Western Union is sending cash, treat it that way.
- If you have questions about the legitimacy of a job listing, contact BizJetJobs.com, your Better Business Bureau, your state or local consumer agency, or the Federal Trade Commission.
BizJetJobs continues to improve the security of our job postings, and the quality of our employers. Please don't hesitate to contact us with any questions about any employer posting on our site. We welcome all of your feedback.
