Beware of Job Scams
Protect yourself during your job search.
Aquent is aware that scammers are using our company name to trick people into applying for jobs that don’t exist. These job scams also try to get job seekers to provide sensitive personal information, financial information, or payment to the scammer.
What job scams look like
- WhatsApp, Telegram or other social media platform messages from unknown numbers claiming to be somebody working for Aquent.
- Fake job postings on Facebook or LinkedIn job groups, and other social media platforms.
- Emails from private/personal email addresses with a vague opportunity.
How to avoid job scams
- Be wary of job postings that only include a few brief requirements. Legitimate jobs normally list extensive qualifications.
- Don't provide sensitive information such as IBAN/bank details, Tax ID (Steuer-ID), or photos/copies of your passport or ID card (Personalausweis) until you are certain the offer is legitimate.
- Many scams are related to work-from-home jobs. Since Aquent offers many legitimate remote opportunities, the best way to find them is by visiting our website—aquent.com/en-de/find-work.
- Scammers often use email addresses with free email services such as Gmail, Yahoo, and Hotmail. Our Aquent recruiters will only email job seekers from an @aquent.com email address.
- Recent scams we've seen use international phone numbers (e.g. starting +27 – from South Africa). If you're unsure about the authenticity of a text or WhatsApp message from an unfamiliar international code, this could be a scam.
- Aquent agents rarely operate via WhatsApp or Telegram, and are most likely to reach out via LinkedIn InMail, email from an @aquent.com address, or call you directly about an opportunity.
How to report scam messages
- Forward suspicious phishing emails to the German Consumer Advice Center (Verbraucherzentrale) at phishing@verbraucherzentrale.de or save them as an .eml file and upload them here: www.verbraucherzentrale.de/
- You can report unauthorized spam texts or suspicious phone numbers to the Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur) here: www.bundesnetzagentur.de
- If you have provided your bank details or IBAN to a scammer, contact your bank immediately. You can also block bank cards and online accounts 24/7 via the central emergency blocking helpline at 116 116 (or +49 116 116 if calling from abroad).