The most recent numbers show Idaho's unemployment rate is at a four-year high. This week's financial turmoil probably won't help that number.

Enter the scam artist. Thieves see hard times, uncertainty and desperation as opportunity. Let's take a look at the job search. More than 70 percent of job seekers turn to the Web, according to the Conference Board - an international business membership and research firm.

One person recently visited the Statesman offices to share his experience with an online job search site.

He applied for a job and was soon contacted via e-mail and snail mail. He received a check for $1,980.23. The instructions in the e-mail were to deposit the check and then wire transfer all but a small amount.

The jobs in such scams are of the secret shopper variety.

We've seen instructions to job seekers ranging from shopping well-known stores to testing cash transfer services such as Western Union. The checks always turn out to be fraudulent. The jobs are fake.

Following are red flags the BBB advises jobs hunters to be on the look out for when using online resources:

E-mails rife with grammatical and spelling errors.

Most online fraud is generated outside the U.S. Misspelled words, flowery nonsense and poor grammar are good reason to delete.

E-mails claiming there's a problem with a job hunter's account.

After creating a user account on sites like Monster.com or Careerbuilder.com, a job hunter might receive an e-mail saying there has been a problem with their account or they need to follow a hyperlink to install new software.

Phishing e-mails like this are designed to convince readers to click a link within the message to fix the issue, but actually take them to a Web site that will install malware or viruses on their computer.

An employer asks for extensive personal information such as Social Security or bank account numbers.

Regardless of the reason or excuse given by the employer, a job applicant should never give out his or her Social Security or bank account numbers over the phone or by e-mail.

An employer offers the opportunity to become rich without leaving home.

Job hunters should use extreme caution when considering a work-at-home offer and always research the company with the BBB at www.bbb.org.

An employer asks for money upfront.

Aside from paying for a uniform, don't pay upfront fees or make a required purchase to get a job.

The salary and benefits offered seem too good to be true.

Phony employers might brag about exceptionally high salary potential and excellent benefits for little experience in order to lure unsuspecting job hunters into their scam.

The job requires the employee to wire money through Western Union or MoneyGram.

We covered this in the beginning. The check will eventually turn out to be a fake, and the victim is out the money he or she wired back to the scammers.

There is legitimate work out there. Be careful in your search.

Dale Dixon is president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau, a not-for-profit organization serving Southwest Idaho and eastern Oregon. Reach him at 342-4649 or ddixon@boise.bbb.org.