College students: Avoid scammers while you job hunt

Whether you’re a college student looking for full time or summer work, having a job lined up is a great feeling. What’s not so great? All those scammers hitting you up with fake job opportunities online and on your phone. So, how can you spot and avoid job scams?

First, know that scammers post ads for fake jobs (say, for personal assistants) on job sites and social media. But sometimes they text you unexpectedly, saying they’re a recruiter for a company. If they then tell you to reply with financial information or ask you to pay for things like starter kits, training, or certifications to get the job, it’s a scam.

Also, you might get emails that look like they’re from someone you know, like a professor or an office at your college. But if you reply and they want to give you a check to deposit…and then ask you to send some of that money to another account, you know you’re dealing with a scammer.

To help you avoid job scams like these:

• Look up the name of the company or person who’s hiring you, plus the words “scam,” “review,” or “complaint.” See what others are saying.
• Reach out directly. If the email looks like it came from a professor or an office at your college, check with them directly. Confirm that they’re really looking to hire someone for this position. Just don’t use the email or number they used to contact you.
• Never pay anyone to get a job. Anyone who asks you to pay to get a job is a scammer. And if anyone tells you to deposit a check and use some of the money for any reason, that’s a scam.

Learn more at ftc.gov/jobscams. And report job scams to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.