University Technology ([U]Tech) has provided a set of tips to help students avoid falling for student job scams.
Fake job postings abound in unsolicited emails sent to your CWRU or personal account and in online job listing sites. Fake jobs can be attempts to steal personal information about you or money or bank account information. You could also get entangled in criminal activity.
You should always carefully research the legitimacy of employers before applying.
Here are some tips to help you identify fake jobs.
Common job scams targeting college students:
- Personal or administrative assistants working from home;
- Mystery shoppers;
- Envelope stuffing from home;
- Repackaging or shipping from home;
- Issuing checks/check processing from home;
- Model/talent agencies;
- Pyramid sales schemes; and
- A variety of scams where a student is asked to pay for certification, training materials or equipment with promise of reimbursement.
What to watch for in the job posting/email:
- Does not indicate the company name;
- Comes from an email address that doesn’t match the company name;
- Does not give the employer contact information (title of person sending the email, company address, phone number, etc.);
- Offers to pay a large amount for almost no work;
- Offers a job without ever interacting with you;
- Asks to use your personal email rather than your school email address;
- Asks you to pay an application fee;
- Asks you to print checks at home and then deposit them into your bank account;
- Asks you to purchase pre-paid store cards or gift cards;
- Wants you to transfer money from one account to another;
- Offers to send you a check before you do any work;
- Asks you to give your credit card or bank account numbers;
- Asks for copies of personal documents;
- Says you must send payment by wire service or courier;
- Offers you a large payment for allowing the use of your bank account—often for depositing checks or transferring money; or
- Sends you an unexpectedly large check.
No legitimate employer will send payment in advance and ask the employee to send a portion of it back. Do not provide any personal information, especially Social Security numbers or financial information.
Download [U]Tech’s guide to avoiding fake student job scams.