Over the past year or so, it has been reported that identity thieves have placed fraudulent job postings to trick job seekers into giving out personal information.

Once a candidate has placed his/her personal information online, the fictitious company would contact the job seeker(s) and ask for personal information such as Social Security Number and bank account information, supposedly for the human resources department.

Monster.com has provided some information below on how not to fall victim to this type of fraud.

Here are some important tips to use when dealing with prospective employers:

• Do not give your social security number, even if they suggest that it is for a "routine background check."
• Do not provide credit card or bank numbers, or engage in any monetary transactions.
• Do not provide any non-work related personal information (i.e. social security number, eye color, marital status etc.) over the phone or online.
• Be cautious when dealing with contacts outside of your own country.
• Read the article, "Protect Your Personal Info"

You can report Internet fraud to The Internet Fraud Complaint Center (IFCC)