There is a growing trend in job (and internship) scams targeting college students. Fake job postings abound in unsolicited emails and in online job listing sites especially on social media. These unsolicited emails typically come in the form of phishing attacks or SPAM. Fake jobs can be attempts to steal your personal information or steal money. Job scams can also get you entangled in criminal activity, so be very cautious. Jobs that sound too good to be true should raise a red flag for anyone. Some job scams are easy to spot while others appear to be legitimate especially if they seem to be coming from a fredonia.edu email address. Unfortunately, scammers are able to “spoof” email addresses so that their emails “appear” to be coming from a legitimate University email (fredonia.edu) account when they are actually coming from the scammer’s email account.
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Never respond to a job or internship offer from an employer claiming to be working with or for the University without checking first with the Career Development Office (CDO) or (716) 673-3327. The Career Development Office (CDO) screens all organizations and companies that post internships and job opportunities for Fredonia students.
Never give out your personally identifiable information, such as your social security or bank account number over email or phone.
Never take cashier’s checks or money orders as a form of payment. Fake checks are common and the bank where you cash it will hold you accountable.
Never cash a check that comes with “extra” money. Scammers send checks that require you to deposit a check at your bank, withdraw the “extra” money as cash, and then deposit that cash elsewhere. The check will bounce and you will be held accountable.
Never wire funds via Western Union, MoneyGram, or any other service to a prospective employer unless you screen them thoroughly.
Never apply for jobs listed by someone far away or in another country unless you screen them thoroughly.
Never agree to a background check unless you have thoroughly screen the prospective employer.
Never apply for a job that is emailed to you out of the blue unless you have thoroughly screened the prospective employer.
Be cautious of exaggerated claims of possible earnings or profits.
Beware when money is required up front for a job (e.g., application fee).
Be leery when the job posting claims "no experience necessary."
Research the employer to ensure they are authentic. Do they have a reputable website or professional references? Is the job listing you want to apply for also on their main career page? Contact the Better Business Bureau to determine the legitimacy of the company.
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Contact your local police department, and file a report.
Contact the Career Development Office so they can potentially notify the campus community as needed.
File a complaint online with the Federal Trade Commission. Also, check out their video on how to report scam and more ways to avoid fraud and job scams.
File a complaint online with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.
Depending on the nature of the scam, check your personal accounts for any suspicious activity (e.g., identity theft).
NOTE: Faculty and staff should forward all suspected student employment and internship opportunities to the Career Development Office so that they can screen them appropriately.
For more information, please contact the Career Development Office (716) 673-3327, Information Security Office (716) 673-4725 or University Police Department (716) 673-3333.
References:
- Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
- Internet Crime Complaint Center
- Better Business Bureaus (BBB)
- University of Colorado Boulder (Office of Student Financial Aid
- Case Western Reserve University
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