How to Spot a Job Scam

• Be alert: Job scams may pretend to come from people you know, including professors, college personnel or other students.
• Unexpected Job Offers: Be wary of job offers that you did not apply for or were not expecting. 
• Too good to be true: If the job offer sounds too good to be true, it more than likely is. Often times, the job description involves little to no labor for a large amount of pay. (Example: Earn $500 per week from home for a few hours of work.) 
• Vague Job Description: Job description doesn't describe job duties, employee qualifications, or information about the employer. (Examples: Personal/remote "assistant", house or pet sitting, generic "tasks.")   
• Urgent Request of Personal Information: Steer clear of job offers requesting personal information with a sense of urgency very early in the application process. Be especially wary if the person wants to communicate via text message via email. Personal information may also include the name of your bank, social security number, or home address. 
• Asks you to make a wire transfer: Scammers commonly mail you a check that is more than you were promised, and ask you to mail order the difference. 
• Poor grammar and unprofessional tone: Keep an eye out for poor grammar and structure of the job posting/email. Legitimate employers will have a more professional tone in their communications than scammers do. Although, this may not always be the case, so be wary.