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Rise in student job scams

Student News | Monday, December 4, 2023

Columbus State has seen a sudden rise in fake job postings sent to student email accounts. The fake postings also show up in online job listing sites and social media. The scams target students with fake job opportunities to trick them out of money. (Scroll to the bottom to see an example of an actual scam email.) 

The "job opportunities" often take the form of "personal or office assistants," “research assistants,” and “dog walking.” They frequently ask a student to purchase items for their business, deposit checks, or offset startup costs to negotiate sales between a vendor and a business. The scam is attempting to get you to deposit a fraudulent check, which will bounce in a few days or weeks by purchasing items or sending personal checks with your own money. They also attempt to collect personal information that could be used in future identity thefts, such as addresses, Social Security numbers, and bank information.

Here are some indicators that a job opportunity may be a scam:

  • Offers to send you a check before you do any work.
  • Does not list a company name.
  • Comes from an email address that doesn’t match the company name. (Most legitimate companies will use the company domain instead of a Hotmail, Yahoo, or Gmail account.)
  • Offers to pay a large amount of money for almost no work.
  • Offers you a job without ever interacting with you or interviewing you.
  • Asks you to pay an application fee.
  • Wants you to transfer money from one account to another.
  • Asks you to give your credit card or bank account numbers.
  • Asks for copies of personal documents.
  • Says you must send payment by wire service or courier.
  • Offers you a large payment for allowing the use of your bank account – often for depositing checks or transferring money.
    Sends you an unexpectedly large check.

 If you get a suspicious email, report it. Email abuse@cscc.edu, or call the IT Support Center at 614-287-5050.

If you believe you have been contacted by a job scam, you may contact Career Services at careerservices@cscc.edu, or call 614-287-2782 to discuss the situation. Career Counselors can assist you in reviewing job postings or inquiries if they have concerns about its legitimacy prior to applying.

Example:

An example of a job scam email.

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