In the United States, job scam reports surged by a staggering 118 percent in 2023 compared to the previous year, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The FTC reports that American consumers lost $367 million to job and business opportunity scams in 2022—a 76 percent increase year-over-year.
As college students seek opportunities to gain career experience, scammers increasingly target them with fraudulent internship and job offers, leveraging names of well-known companies, career offices, and even university staff or faculty members to earn their trust. These scams exploit students’ desire for relevant experience and can result in significant financial and personal harm.
As members of the Rutgers community, there are many ways to assist in combating job scams. Below are some tips to help students stay vigilant and guide staff or faculty in protecting their identity from being used in these scams.
Verify the employer’s legitimacy
Before applying for any job or internship posting, students should research thoroughly. For companies, check their official website, look for reviews, and verify contact information. For emails that appear to be from a Rutgers staff member, professor, or department, look up and reach out to their official Rutgers email address. Be cautious of generic email addresses (e.g. @gmail.com, @yahoo.com, etc.) and company names that lack a professional online presence.
Be wary of unsolicited offers
If students receive an unsolicited job or internship offer via email, text, or social media, especially one that seems too good to be true, proceed with caution. Scammers often use enticing offers of remote work at a high pay rate to lure unsuspecting students into responding. Always verify the legitimacy of the offer using an alternative contact method.
Avoid sharing personal information
Legitimate employers will not ask for sensitive personal information during the initial stages of the application process, such as your birth date, Social Security number, ID number, or bank account details. Be wary of any job opportunity that requires this information upfront, especially without a formal interview process or W-4 form. The FTC warns that honest employers will also never ask you to pay upfront fees for a job or equipment.
Watch out for red flags
Students should trust their instincts—if something feels off, it probably is. Be alert to common red flags, like requests to send money through peer-to-peer apps (e.g. Venmo, Zelle, etc.), vague job descriptions or responsibilities, and a lack of a formal interview process. The FTC also highlights that scammers may send fake checks and ask you to deposit them, only to request you send money back.
Protect your identity
Scammers use a tactic called “pretexting,” or creating a fake scenario impersonating a trustworthy person, to manipulate their victims. Pretexting becomes more effective as scammers gather more information, so limiting the amount of information staff, faculty, and students share publicly is crucial in reducing the apparent legitimacy of job scams. To assist students in verification, staff and faculty members should only communicate with students using their official Rutgers email, which is harder to impersonate.
Utilize campus resources
Take advantage of Rutgers’ career services and resources. They can help you identify legitimate opportunities and provide guidance on avoiding scams. Report any suspicious job or internship offers to Rutgers Career Exploration and Success and the Information Security Office immediately.
Review additional cybersecurity resources
Some examples include:
- Stay Secure While Job Hunting – National Cybersecurity Alliance
- Scammers impersonate well-known companies, recruit for fake jobs on LinkedIn and other job platforms | Consumer Advice
- Job Scams | Consumer Advice
- How To Spot, Avoid, and Report Fake Check Scams | Consumer Advice
This story was written by Catharine Tarquinio and Srihan Kakarlapudi.
Tags: email, help and support, IT community, security