Looking for a job in this shaky economy? The government is hiring and con artists are taking advantage of eager job seekers.
>> Now we're aware that looking for a job is a job you don't get paid for --
>> If you're looking for a job in this shaky economy, career forecasters say the federal government is a good bet. Look online or in any local paper, and there are plenty of companies willing to help you secure a job with Uncle Sam -- but at a price.
>> I was looking for a job with the government just because of the job security, the great benefits, the lasting career.
>> Brett inaudible answered an ad for a job with the U.S. Postal Service.
>> They say, "Well, we really want to get you in the Post Office; we're hiring right now. Here's what we're going to need to do: we've got some training packets we need to send out there to you. Everyone has to use them. This is what you need to pay, and we need some bank information from you." I even asked specifically, you know, "Is this a scam?" "No, we work directly with the Post Office" was their answer.
>> Brett agreed to pay 120 dollars to the company and thought it would get him one step closer to his dream job with the government.
>> I actually got a little excited because of what they promised me in the ads.
>> But his excitement turned to disappointment when he learned that instead of hiring, the Post Office was in fact cutting jobs. It seemed he paid money for nothing.
>> Oh, I was angry. I was furious.
>> There are many more people out there who are susceptible to job offers that are ultimately only scams.
>> Allison Southwick is with the Better Business Bureau. She says nationwide, consumers have complained of being ripped off by companies charging fees to find government jobs.
>> You do not need to pay money to get a federal job. All of this information is available for free online through the government's website.
>> That free government website is usajobs.gov. And we found plenty of jobs for free. But we also found those same jobs listed on other sites for a fee.
>> Just watch what you do. I mean, watch who you give your information to.
>> Brett said after his bad experience, he's now put his plans of finding a government job on hold.
>> I definitely was one of the people that didn't think it could happen to them. I always thought that you people left themselves out there, and that's why they got taken advantage of. It's not like that. I mean, it's so easy. One minute you want to better yourself; the next minute you're getting taken advantage of.
==== Transcribed by Automatic Sync Technologies ====
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