Statement from Chroma Medicine Regarding Job Offer Fraud Scams

Beware of Fraudulent Recruiting Advertisements and Scams

Please be cautious when applying for positions via company websites and interview job sites, such as LinkedIn as there has been a rise in reporting of false and fraudulent offers of employment using the internet and social media platforms to gain access to personal and financial information. Chroma Medicine believes that one of the best ways to stop to these types of scams is to make you aware that they exist, provide tips on how to identify and avoid them, and make clear how we recruit for positions so you can more easily identify fraudulent recruiting advertisements.

Recognizing a Potential Recruiting Fraud

• No applicant for employment with Chroma is ever required to pay any money as part of the job application or hiring process.
• Chroma never interviews job applicants through chat rooms (such as Google Hangouts), or through instant messaging systems. If someone tells you they want to interview you for a job through a chat room, via text or instant messaging, they do not work for or represent Chroma and are likely seeking to defraud you.
• Chroma’s job recruitment process involves video interviews via Microsoft Teams and Zoom with our email correspondence coming from @chromamedicine.com only. Any email that states to be from Chroma but does not have an @chromamedicine.com address should be assumed to be fraudulent.

Chroma cannot predict all ways scammers might operate in the future, but the following is a non-exclusive list of warning signs of recruiting fraud:

• You are asked to provide credit card, bank account number(s) or other personal financial information as part of the job application process.
• The contact email address contains a domain other than @chromamedicine.com, such as @live.com, @gmail.com, @yahoo.com, @outlook.com, or another personal email account.
• The position requires an initial monetary investment, such as a payment by wire transfer.
• The posting includes spelling errors, grammatical errors, syntax errors, or otherwise appears to have been written by someone not fluent in English.
• You are offered a payment or “reward” in exchange for allowing the use of your bank account (e.g., for depositing checks or transferring money related to promised employment).
• You are asked to provide a photograph of yourself.
• The job posting does not mention required qualifications and job responsibilities, but instead focuses on the amount of money supposedly to be made.
• The job posting reflects initial pay that is high compared to the average compensation for the type of job.
• The supposed “employer” contacts you by phone or through a chat room or instant messaging service and gives no way to call them back or the number they do give is not active or goes only to a voicemail box. For example, such supposed “employers” often direct that you “meet” them in chat rooms at specific times.

What To Do If You Believe You Have Identified a Fraud:

If you believe you have been the victim of a job recruiting fraud scam, you can:

• File an incident report at http://www.cybercrime.gov.
• Call the Federal Trade Commission at 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357).
• File a complaint with the Federal Bureau of Investigation at https://ic3.gov.
• Contact your local police to report the fraud.
• Contact your bank or credit card company to close your account and dispute any charges related to the fraud.