“Part-time, high-yield job that pays $2,000, no English or experience needed.”

That type of “Wanted Ads” posted all over Chinatown often lead to traps. Students looking for summer employment are advised to be very careful.

For an unsuspecting eye, Chinatown is a land full of employment opportunities. Street corners are full of people in business attire, and every lamppost, mailbox and wall is pasted with wanted ad flyers.

But what is promised is more often not what is delivered and many Chinese have fallen into the traps.

Mr. Zheng, a Fujianese restaurant worker, was tricked by an aggressive job advertisement. He went to an office to keep an appointment, only to be “interviewed” on his personal background. After filling out an application form, Zheng said, he was told that he was now a representative of the company. But because every representative had to wear a company-issued ID, he had to pay $175 for it. Another employee then told him to go home and come back to work the next day.

Zheng went home confused. The next day when he reported to work, an employee gave him a pile of promotional materials and told him to sell diet products. After a futile day’s labor, he was told to sell the products to family members and relatives. The employee said it was “for the health of your family.”

Zheng then said he did not want a job in sales and asked for his $175 back. To his surprise, he was told that he voluntarily signed a contract to become a member, therefore the money is non-refundable.

It is not surprising, though, that many people still fall for those seemingly primitive promotional tricks, especially when the target clients are new immigrants who often work long hours at low-paying jobs.

Many of these ads are paid by ill-reputed direct sales companies. The high prices of the merchandises scare off many job applicants. Some companies, however, advertise come-ons like “no guarantees” or “easy approval” in order to lure those who are desperately seeking work. Most of the products are of inferior quality and impossible to sell.

New immigrants are advised to be extra cautious if they are asked to give money when seeking employment. And when in doubt, they must contact the police.