Job scams aimed at students

Fake job offers reach students through school email, text messages and job boards, often timed for the start of a term. Learn how the common schemes work so you can spot one early, and know where to report it.

The fake check

In this scheme, a new employer sends you a check and asks you to deposit it, keep part as pay and send the rest somewhere else for supplies or equipment. They usually want the money sent by gift card, wire transfer, cryptocurrency or a payment app. Days or weeks later the check bounces, and the bank expects you to repay the full amount.

Banks often make deposited funds available before a check has fully cleared, so money appearing in your account proves nothing about the check. A real employer has no reason to send you money and ask for part of it back.

Reshipping and package jobs

Reshipping offers ask you to receive packages at home, repack them and send them on, often overseas. The goods are usually bought with stolen card numbers, and the person doing the shipping can end up facing questions from police and unpaid bills. The pay that was offered rarely arrives.

A related scheme asks you to accept payments into your own bank account and pass them on. That makes you a money mule moving stolen funds, and it can lead to a closed bank account or legal trouble.

Warning signs

• A check arrives before you start
• Packages to forward or money to pass on
• A fee to begin work
• An offer with no interview

Fees before you start

Some offers ask you to pay for training, a starter kit, a background check or a certification before the job begins. Legitimate employers generally cover the cost of hiring. If an offer asks you to pay in order to work, stop and check before sending anything.

Watch also for offers made without an interview, conversations held only by text or chat, and requests for your Social Security number or bank login before you have a written offer. Messages that seem to come from a professor or a campus office can be faked, so check the address and contact the office through its listed number.

Where to report one

Report job scams to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to your school's career center or IT security office, which can warn other students. If you sent money or shared bank details, call your bank right away using the number on the back of your card.

If someone has used your Social Security number, IdentityTheft.gov explains the recovery steps. Scams carried out online can also be reported to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.