Jobs that sound too good to be true should raise a red flag for any college student. This semester, we have received an increase in fake job postings from malicious actors sending emails sent to your student account. In some cases, these emails originate from compromised UML student accounts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fake jobs can be attempts to steal personal information about you or steal money or bank account information from you. You could also get entangled in criminal activity, so be cautious.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here are some tips to help you identify fake jobs. You should always carefully research the legitimacy of employers before applying. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Watch out for over-payment scams. These are often posted as a bookkeeper, personal assistant, administrative assistant, etc., to assist in processing checks or mystery\/secret shoppers. The \u201ccompany\u201d sends a check to the \u201cassistant\u201d (student), who is then responsible for taking their \u201csalary\u201d out of the check and wiring the remainder of the money back to the \u201ccompany.\u201d These checks are fraudulent and can leave you out thousands of dollars and facing criminal charges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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! <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The following job posting was rejected by the Student Employment Program Job Board:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Agile and Responsible individual is needed to fill the vacant position of a Personal Assistant (Part time) Someone who can offer these services: *Mail services (Receive mails and drop them off at UPS) *Shop for Gifts *Sit for delivery (at your home) or pick items up at nearby post office at your convenience. (You will be notified when delivery would be made).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n A student notified the Student Employment Program that she received the following email:<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you are resourceful, organized, good with paperwork and honest, you can make three hundred dollars ($500) a week, as a business assistant. This flexible but formal position would only take at most two hours of your time daily, or even less, depending on your work-speed. You would be needed Mondays through Fridays, but the job\u2019s flexibility lies in the fact that your duties are clear-cut and would take little of your time to be executed daily. Kindly get back to me ASAP if you are interested and wish to know more about this opportunity.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Another student received an email offering them a “New, interesting, and respectable job”<\/em> as a typist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you have concerns about the legitimacy of a job or internship posting, please contact the Student Employment Office at 978-934-4228. If you feel that you\u2019ve been the victim of a scam, please contact campus police at 978-934-2398, or police@uml.edu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the organization in question doesn\u2019t have a website or the website doesn\u2019t seem to match the advertised job, there may be cause for concern. Note the professionalism of the website. Is there specific contact information? Are jobs and career information actually posted on the site? Lack of pertinent information is a red flag. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Do you have any connections to help you find inside information? If you belong to a professional association, they may be able to put you in touch with people who can advise you. Search LinkedIn by \u201cPeople\u201d and the advanced search fields for \u201cCompany Name.\u201d Click the \u201cCurrent Companies Only\u201d checkbox to receive information on people currently listed as employed by this company. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Search by the name of the organization to gather information and recent news. You can also search by \u201cscam\u201d to look for signs the company has been reported in any type of fraudulent activity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Two organizations to utilize are the Better Business Bureau<\/a> or the Federal Trade Commission<\/a> to see if any complaints have been lodged against the company. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you aren\u2019t sure a company is legitimate, request a list of employees or contractors. Then contact the references to see how satisfied they are. If a company isn\u2019t willing to share references (names, email addresses, and phone numbers), this is a red flag. You may want to research the references a bit as well, to be sure they are legitimate. Be careful when an employer cannot communicate accurately or effectively on the website, by email, over the telephone, etc. If communications are sloppy, how professional is the organization? <\/p>\n\n\n\n Most legitimate employers will not charge to hire you! Don\u2019t send money for work-at-home directories, advice on getting hired, company information or for anything else related to the job. There are some well-known internship programs that do require payment to place you in internships, but check with your department\u2019s internship coordinator to determine if the program is legitimate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When information about salary isn\u2019t listed on a job posting, try to find out if you will receive a salary or be paid on commission. Find out how much you\u2019re paid, how often you are paid and how you are paid. If the company doesn\u2019t pay an hourly rate or a salary, be cautious and investigate further. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Read all information carefully. If the opportunity sounds too good to be true, it probably is! Just because a job lead appears in a legitimate publication, it doesn\u2019t mean that the job or company is, necessarily, legitimate. Forget about getting rich quick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jobs that sound too good to be true should raise a red flag for any college student. This semester, we have received an increase in fake job postings from malicious actors sending emails sent to your student account. In some … Continue reading Examples of Suspicious Ads<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Report Suspicious Ads
<\/h2>\n\n\n\nResearching Ads and Employers
<\/h2>\n\n\n\nWhy is it Important to Research Every Opportunity?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Visit the Organization\u2019s Website<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Use Personal Contacts, LinkedIn, or Other Networking Sites<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Use Google<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
C<\/strong>heck with Consumer Services<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Investigate the Company\u2019s References<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\nBe Suspicious of Poor Communication Skills<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Exercise Caution When Asked to Pay Any Fees<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Review Payment Information<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Beware: Scam Ads Can be Found in Legitimate Publications
<\/h2>\n\n\n\nAdditional Information about Job Scams<\/h2>\n\n\n\n