It’s important to stay alert when you receive an email about a job as scammers are targeting students with fake job offers that look convincing at first glance.
What Do These Scams Look Like?
These phishing scams often arrive by email (even to your university account), text, or even phone calls, and they may promise easy money or free items. Common examples include offers for:
- Student worker positions
- Part-time roles with organizations like UNICEF
- Pet sitting or babysitting gigs
- Mystery shopper or payroll clerk jobs
- Remote employment opportunities
- Free items like pianos or tools
The examples above are just a few of the variations of this scam. The attackers vary these requests and change them frequently to avoid detection. Some recent scams involve an attacker offering to pay off your credit card and asking you for account information for it.
Red Flags to Watch For
Ask yourself these questions before responding to any job offer:
- Is the pay way above normal? (e.g., $40/hour for a job that usually pays $15/hour)
- Are they asking you to wire money or send gift cards?
- Do they want you to act immediately with extreme urgency?
- Are they asking for personal details like your Social Security number or bank info?
Tips to Stay Safe
- Be skeptical of unsolicited messages. Verify the source before responding.
- Check the sender’s email address. Scammers often use addresses that look legit but have small variations (e.g., a Gmail address pretending to be from PennWest).
- Avoid clicking on links or downloading attachments from unknown senders. Hover over links to see the real URL first.
- Never share sensitive information like passwords, SSNs, or bank details via email, text, or phone.
Remember: When you deposit a check and see “available funds,” that doesn’t mean the check is valid.
What to Do If You Suspect a Scam
If you receive a phishing or scam email:
- Use the Report Phishing button in your university email (preferred), or forward the message to abuse@pennwest.edu.
Not sure if an offer is legitimate?
We’re here to help! Email the Career Center at career@pennwest.edu with the details of the job, and we’ll review it for you. It’s always better to double-check to be safe!