Job seekers can be especially vulnerable to con artists and scams. And it sometimes seems like there's a new scam every day.

Take, for example, "phishing." These scams, which usually involve a con artist posing as a legitimate business in order to obtain personal or financial information, grew 178 percent from March to April 2004, according to the Anti-Phishing Working Group.

What's more unfortunate: Up to five percent of the people "phished" gave the scammers what they were looking for.

While no one can offer you guaranteed ways to avoid every scam, there are things you can do to protect yourself. Follow these general principles to conduct a safer job search.

Credit Card Confidential

A recruiter should never ask for your credit card number. Or bank account number. Or PIN.

This information is rarely -- if ever -- required to apply for a job. Never give it out over email or telephone.

A recruiter may occasionally ask you to share some sensitive information. Many job applications will ask you to provide your Social Security number and date of birth. But this information is *not* solicited over the phone or email. Rather, it's part of a formal job application candidates complete in writing, usually on the day of their first in-person interview.

It is very rare you will be asked for sensitive information prior to an in-person interview.

Know Your Enemy

Always know who you're sharing personal information with -- and how it will be used.

Use these tips to protect yourself and your privacy:

• If you get a call from an unfamiliar recruiter, get her name, company and phone number. Check with the Better Business Bureau and your local Chamber of Commerce to verify the business's legitimacy. You can also look up the company's phone number independently and call to confirm that the recruiter is actually an employee. Don't share personal information unless you are confident that the recruiter and company are legitimate. As we mentioned in yesterday's tip, be wary if asked to share personal information over the phone or email.



• When posting your resume online, read the Web site's privacy policy to see how your information will be used. You can view Yahoo! HotJobs' privacy policy.



• Use Yahoo! HotJobs' exclusive HotBlock feature to control who views your resume. HotBlock lets you decide who can see your personal information -- and who can't. Find out more here.

Keep Your Money to Yourself

Beware anyone who asks you for money in exchange for finding you a job.

You should never pay for "exclusive" job leads or for a job itself.

If you enlist the services of a career coach, resume writer or background-checking service, check references and get the agreed-upon fee in writing. Also, comparison shop to find the best deal.

Be especially careful of work-at-home scams that require an upfront financial investment or fee. For more information, see our series on "Avoiding Work at Home Scams".

If you're ever concerned about a particular employer or job listing you've seen on our site, please let us know.

Gotcha!

When in doubt, don't share sensitive information. But if you did -- and fear you've been scammed -- take action immediately.

If you shared sensitive information that could allow someone to steal your identity or access your finances, contact your bank and credit card companies right away.

You should also call the major credit reporting agencies: Experian, Equifax and TransUnion.

Also, be sure to file a police report at your local precinct.

If you've been "phished," contact the "real" company and notify it that someone has been posing as its representative.

Depending on the nature of the scam, you may also want to notify: