Job scams are a common way criminals seek to gain personal information and money from targets.聽When searching for a job, start with safe and reliable sources--e.g., Handshake, . Be wary of any employment opportunities presented in emails, especially if you did not seek the opportunity.
How To Avoid a Job Scam
Before you accept a job offer, take these steps to avoid common job scams:
- Search online.聽Look up the name of the company or the person who鈥檚 hiring you, plus the words 鈥渟cam,鈥� 鈥渞eview,鈥� or 鈥渃omplaint.鈥� See if others say they鈥檝e been scammed by that company or person. No complaints? It doesn鈥檛 guarantee that a company is honest, but complaints can tip you off to possible problems.
- Talk to someone you trust. Describe the offer to them. What do they think? This also helps give you vital time to think about the offer.
- Don't pay for the promise of a job. Honest employers, including the federal government, will never ask you to pay to get a job. Anyone who does is a scammer.
- Never bank on a 鈥渃leared鈥� check. No honest potential employer will ever send you a check to deposit and then tell you to send on part of the money, or buy with it. That鈥檚 a . The check will bounce, and the bank will want you to repay the amount of the fake check.
What To Do if You Paid a Scammer
No matter how you paid 鈥� , or , , cash reload card, or 鈥� immediately聽contact the company you used to send the money,聽report the fraud, and ask to have the transaction reversed, if possible. For specific advice on how to reverse different types of payments, read聽.