When searching for a job or internship, a too-good-to-be-true offer might be just that. Scammers are posing as potential employers in order to solicit personal or financial information from DePaul students and alumni. There are ways to recognize and avoid these scams. Any of the following can be red flags that an employment opportunity might be fraudulent.

Financial Flags:

• You are asked for your financial information (bank account/credit card numbers)
• You are asked to provide your social security or driver’s license numbers
• You are asked to invest money in the business or company to get the position
• You are offered a large deposit of money to your bank account
• The first year’s salary is much higher than it should be for the role
• The focus of the posting or the interview is the amount of money to be made, not the job responsibilities

Unusual Business Practices:

• The email handle for the contact does not match the company they claim to work for
• The email handle for the contact is an @gmail, @yahoo, @live, or any other non-company specific host
• You receive information about the job from an unsolicited email, not specifically directed to you
• The website for the company or business is very basic and contains little information
• The job posting or email contains multiple grammar or spelling errors
• The company or business is not present on social media 
• You look up the company phone number or email address, but it doesn’t seem to be affiliated with a business

If you feel uncomfortable or are unsure about certain organizations or individuals claiming to represent an employer, talk to the Career Center. If you believe you have been a victim of a scam, contact local police, public safety, and the Career Center. You can also use the Better Business Bureau, Hoovers, and Anywho to verify organizations.