Unemployment is startlingly high. In some communities, it’s approaching ten percent. My neighboring county, Elkhart County Indiana, has the dubious honor of having the highest unemployment in the nation. And with all these unemployed people around, it’s a sure bet that there are people out there trying to take advantage of them.

Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal carried an article about spam disguised as legitimate help-wanted ads. Looking for a job during a recession is a depressing task, and one tends to get desperate. That ad that doesn’t list the hiring company’s name, and says that you can make $50,000 a year with no experience and education, should raise a red flag–but you need a job and are ready to accept anything. You ignore the red flag in your head and apply.

What it turns out to be in many cases, is simply an ad from a career marketing service that wants your money. In even worse cases, the ad is actually an identity thief, that will string you along about a job offer, and then get you to provide personal information such as social security number, or even banking account details. There’s no job there, but you may find your bank account cleaned out a week later.

The Journal article cited a survey of job site publishers, stating that 39 percent of the respondents “frequently find ads that peddle sham investment opportunities or request personal information under false pretenses.”

So how do you tell the bogus job ads from the real ones? Sometimes it’s easy. Ads from Nigerian businessmen wanting you to collect money for them are obviously bogus–but they’re not all that transparent. It may look real, but if the hiring company isn’t listed, then that’s the first red flag. The second red flag is vague job descriptions that don’t give details, or promise high wages for jobs that require no education or experience. And once they get on on the hook, watch out for what type of information they request. Naturally, if you get a job offer, you’ll have to give your new employer your social security number, and even your bank account number if you want direct deposit of your paycheck. But if they’re asking for that information before you’ve even come into the office for an interview, then it’s a pretty good bet that it’s a scam.