Career Success Guide

Job Searching - Fraudulent Employers and Postings

STUDENT GUIDE TO FRAUDULENT EMPLOYERS AND POSTINGS

Potential Red Flags Employer Contacts:

What Actions to Take Research the company, contact, email or other information provided, like: • Websites such as: Better Business Bureau, Chamber of Commerce, Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Ripoffreport and others • Google company name with the word “scam” in the phrase • Check major networking sites like LinkedIn and Facebook • Industry research: buzzfile.com, Hoover’s • Reach out to a Career Coach to help gather information If You Discover You’ve Been Scammed • Immediately contact UW-Stout Career Services: 715-232-1601 • Immediately contact UW-Stout Police: 715-232-2222 • If you did send money: immediately contact your credit card company or bank and close the account or stop the payment • If the scam occurred online: file a report with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) via their complaint system (reportfraud. ftc.gov) UW-STOUT LEARNING & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Access resources and learn more about staying safe online.

The UW-Stout Career Services office acts as a connector between employers posting job and co-op opportunities and UW-Stout students and alumni searching for opportunities. The information shared below is not comprehensive and definite. It has been compiled to help you be aware of scam job postings and opportunities in an attempt to assist in your job search. Remember, if an opportunity sounds too good to be true, it almost certainly is. Trust your instincts. You are encouraged to consult with the UW-Stout Career Services office if you need any assistance in applying to a position, including the legitimacy of a company or opportunity. Never apply to or take actions on a suspicious opportunity. Best practices in protecing yourself and sensitive information: • Never provide credit card, bank account PIN, or other financial information over the phone or online • SSN and date of birth are not solicited over the phone, typically done in writing on their first day of work or first in-person interview • Know who you are sharing your information with and how it will be used. Get their name, company name, and phone or other contact information before sharing

• Email does not exist, is different than the company they represent, is similar but not an exact match to a legitimate company, or is a personal account • Address and area code do not match • Phone number is not valid, not available, or is disconnected • Inconsistencies in employer profile such as: short/incomplete description, no actual website, inaccurate industry. • Emails sent from several different email accounts • Asks you to provide personal financial information, forward payment, or money • Offers you a sizable payment or reward to use your bank account • Sends you an unexpectedly large check, typically on a Friday • Asks you for a photo of yourself • Responds to you almost immediately after submitting a resume • Calls you by phone without a way to call them back • Tells you there isn’t an office in your area and you need to start one Job Opportunities: • Salary offered is unrealistically high for job requirements or amount of work • Position contains many spelling and grammatical errors • Position does not mention the actual job responsibilities or does so vaguely, instead focuses on the money you could make • Work-from-home opportunity • Asks you to provide personal financial information, forward payment, or money • Requires an initial investment of money • Suggests easy access to top level managers, like CEO’s, as a student • Job is for an exciting, new small startup company and you can get in on the ground level • Appears to be an actual position, but reveals it could be an independent contractor opportunity • Employer offers you a job without a face to-face or professional video interview

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