JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Last week the Department of Labor announced some pretty bad economic news. For the first time since 1945, no new jobs were added by employers in the month of August.
As a result, the unemployment rate remains at 9.1 percent and employers continue cutting back hiring and trimming work hours.
Recommended Videos
That means more and more people are turning to the internet to post their resume and search for jobs.
The Better Business Bureau wants job seekers to be extra careful when searching the web for work.
Two days ago Brian Hollingsworth's girlfriend came home with some terrible news. Her company is down-sizing, and she no longer had a job.
"Our electricity bill is due, we counted on a paycheck coming in at the end of the week, which is not going to come in now. So we're struggling right now to come up with the electricity money," Hollingsworth said.
Now he and his girlfriend will join millions of other Americans who are looking for work and turning to the internet to find it. Websites like Monster, Career Builder, and Craigslist can connect you with potential employers but can also be dangerous.
Toni Baggett said it's already happened to her.
"I use Craigslist. I go to Craigslist. I see all kinds of scams on there," she said.
The Better Business Bureau says there are red flags to look out for when using the internet to find work:
* Employer emails are full of grammatical and spelling errors
* You get messages claiming there's a problem with your email account
* An employer asks for extensive personal information.
This happened to Baggett.
"Then they started asking me for my social security number, my date of birth, I said, 'Whoa. Why do you need that?'"
Online job searches should also look out for:
* Employers who offer you the opportunity to get rich without leaving home
* Employers who ask for money upfront
* Jobs that requires you to wire money through Western Union or MoneyGram
Baggett knows there are bad deals out there and you have to have your guard up.
"One time I called and it was a guy just looking for a woman to go in his truck. It was a lawn service job, so that didn't turn out."