Jobs, Internships, and More!

While navigating searching for positions, it's important to evaluate positions to make sure that they are legitimate offers. Often times your own senses of what might be "too good to be true" will be enough to weed out scams or fake postings, but some scams are very tricky. Below are some tips to help you identify common red flags.

Be on the look out for common scams:

• Fake job postings in unsolicited emails sent to your student account or through social media
• Mystery shoppers
• Issuing checks/check processing from home
• Model/talent agencies
• Pyramid sales schemes
• Over-payment scams
• Companies offering to send you a check for assistant work.  These checks are fraudulent and can leave you out of thousands of dollars and facing criminal charges.
• Applying to a job but having the person who e-mails you back using a non-company e-mail.

When applying for a job, avoid:

• Giving out personal info like your social security number or bank account number
• Taking cashier’s checks or money orders as a form of payment. Fake checks are common and the bank where you cash it will hold you accountable.
• Accepting gift cards as payment or wiring funds via Western Union, MoneyGram or any other service
• Applying for jobs listed by someone far away or in another country.
• Agreeing to a background check unless you have met the employer in person.
• Applying for a job that is emailed to you out of the blue.

Ways to evaluate a job:

• Research the employer. Do they have a reputable website or professional references? Call the number listed on-line (not in an email or job ad). Google the address listed and see if it is a legitimate location on Google Maps.
• Meet face to face with a potential employer.
• Be skeptical. Trust your instincts. If a job sounds too good to be true, or is offering a lot of money for very little work, it is likely a scam.

If you think you are a victim:

If you think you fell victim to a scam, protect yourself by stopping any further communication.

• Change any password on accounts involved.

• Contact institutions involved.

• Make a report to UMass Police Department (413-545-2121) and UMass OIT if it's an email scam (413-545-9400)

UMass Career Services 545-2224

UMass Student Employment Office (if a job post) 545-0801