Have you ever received an email for a job that looked too good to be true? One that’s $25 an hour, flexible, remote and run by a professor that you’ve never heard of? The thing is, there’s a good chance that you’ve received a scam that targets college students specifically. Scammers often like to target students because they know students are looking for flexible work and used to hearing from people they don’t know at the university. The Better Business Bureau reports that people 19 to 29 are the most likely to actually lose money to them. Let’s say you responded to one of those scams. Here’s how it might look:
Within an hour of replying you’re informed you need to do an interview, but it’s over text, WhatsApp, or a different messaging app, not a call or Zoom. After answering a few questions, you’re hired the same day without a resume or references. Now here’s the actual scam. Many of these scammers try the “fake check” scam with students. They mail or e-deposit you a check for a few thousand dollars. They say it’s to “buy equipment” from their “preferred vendor” and tell you to send the rest back or forward it to the vendor. The check bounces a week later. The bank pulls the money out of your account and whatever amount you sent is gone. The FTC reports the median loss in these types of scams is $2,000, not an insignificant amount for a student. The scammer might also skip the check and just ask you for your SSN and bank login “for direct deposit”.
A few tips to spot a job scam:
- The job listing isn’t from Handshake or the Loyola careers site and you didn’t apply
- Even if it comes from an @luc.edu address, that doesn’t make it real. The sender could be spoofed or compromised
- The conversation tries to move to a chat app right away
- You’re hired after a short, text-only interview
- Money shows up before you’ve done any work
- They ask for your SSN or bank login before you have an offer letter
If you receive a message like this, don’t reply.
- Check Handshake or Career Services. A job that’s legitimate would be posted there
- Still unsure, or think it’s a scam? Forward it to the ITS Service Desk at ITSServiceDesk@luc.edu
- If you already sent money or deposited a check, call your bank right away
A real job would never send you money before you’ve done work or ask you to pay to get started. If an offer does either or seems too good to be true, it’s a scam.