Fraudulent ZEISS Job Postings Alert

Over the past weeks, we have received reports of fraudulent job offers, misrepresenting ZEISS to potential applicants in the US. People have been offered fake jobs on networks such as www.indeed.com and www.upwork.com. These jobs were offered without ZEISS’s knowledge or consent. ZEISS takes this matter very seriously. We have filed complaints with the appropriate agencies and have taken the necessary steps to counter such actions. However as these job networks operate independently, we have limited capabilities to counter these activities on an ongoing basis.

Recruitment fraud is a fraudulent scheme offering fictitious job opportunities. This type of fraud can be initiated through online services such as fake websites, job platforms (e.g.: www.indeed.com, www.upwork.com, www.linkedIn or similar) or through email. In these messages, recipients are asked to provide personal information or to buy software. The recipients are ultimately asked to pay a fee so that their application for a fake job can be processed.

• There is an early request for personal information such as your address, date of birth, CV, bank information or passport details. The ZEISS name and logo is often featured on the documentation without authorization.
• You will often be asked early on to complete recruitment documentation, such as application forms, terms and conditions of employment, or visa forms.
• The correspondence is often sent from free web-based email accounts such as "@live.com", "@yahoo.com", "@gmail.com", "@googlemail.com", and not from "@zeiss.com". This is a first indicator that the offer is certainly not legitimate.
• Email correspondence appears to be sent from an officer or senior executive at the company.
• The perpetrators frequently use mobile or platform telephone numbers instead of official company numbers.
• The interviews are held via chat clients such as Yahoo Messenger or Skype and applicants are asked to accept the bogus position within hours of receiving the fake job offer.
• The perpetrators may even offer a payment in the form of a check in advance to cover possible costs that are purportedly necessary to work for ZEISS, e.g. for software.
• The applicant is pressured to decide quickly and pass on the required information or payment to the perpetrator.

• Do not forward, transfer or send any money to any employer using your personal account.
• Do not give your personal bank account or credit card information to a new employer.
• Do not transfer money.
• Do not pay for any software that is supposedly required to start the job.
• In general, applicants do not pay a fee to obtain a job (but there might be a few rare exceptions).
• Always stay alert when the offer seems "too good to be true."
• Search online for the person(s) involved.

Stop corresponding with the potential perpetrators immediately until it is proven that the offer is legitimate. We strongly encourage you to file complaints directly with your local attorney general’s office and the federal agencies most directly involved in internet crime:

the FTC