Over the past few years, there has been an increase in fraudulent and illegal job scams via email or via the phone. We created this page for our students and alumni to understand how to identify a job scam, what to do if you get an email and to notify the Career Success Center of currently known job scams. It is important to keep a look out for job scams. Taking precautions during your job search is important for your safety. Below we have listed some job scam red flags to look out for while you carefully evaluate your job offers.

Potential Red Flags for Fraudulent Employers

  • Difficulty finding additional information on employer
  • No physical address
  • Organizations website doesn't work properly, very little information, and provides information that isn't related to the organization at all
  • Contact information is different from the organizations domain name 
  • In your google search, the organizations come up when using employer name and the word "scam" 
  • Employer offers you a position without any interaction with you such as, a phone call or in-person interview 

Potential Red Flags for Fraudulent Job Postings

  • Position description is not professionally written
  • Position requires you to add personal information, such as social security, bank account information, or credit card information 
  • Job description is vague and compensation seems too good to be true, such as $1000 a week
  • The position requires that you complete an assignment prior to the official start date to test your ability to do the job effectively. 
  • The position requires you deposit a sum of money into your personal bank account when you have done no work to be compensated for 
  • The website advertises "secret" job postings for a fee 

Additional Links

Here are some additional links and a list of helpful resources to learn more about employment scams or to research possible fraudulent employers: 

Disclaimer

WCSU does not endorse or recommend employers, and a posting does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation. The university explicitly makes no representations or guarantees about job listings or the accuracy of the information provided by the employer. The university is not responsible for safety, wages, working conditions, or any other aspect of off-campus employment without limitation. Students have a responsibility to perform due diligence in researching employers when applying for or accepting private, off-campus employment and to thoroughly research the facts and reputation of each organization to which they are applying. Students should be prudent and use common sense and caution when applying for or accepting any position. Contact the Career Success Center with any further questions.

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