Job Scams

The Career Design Center would like to remind students to stay vigilant while searching and applying for jobs and internships on Handshake and other job search sites. Although employers are carefully vetted by Handshake's trust and safety team and the Career Design Center, fraudulent employers are clever and can be very convincing. Here are some things to keep in mind.

How to avoid job scams

• Never pay an employer via a money transfer service or gift cards to cover training, software, or materials.
• Never accept a check from an employer to purchase materials required for your training and/or position.
• Never agree to deposit a check into your checking account and return funds to the employer by cash, gift cards, or check.
• If you feel pressured to "act fast" or rushed into something that you are not comfortable with.

How do I spot a job scam?

Look for these red flags. Scammers might:

• Ask for extensive personal information such as social security or bank account numbers.
• Ask for money up front. Never pay in advance!
• Posting fails to describe job responsibilities, but focuses on how much money you can make.
• Have numerous grammatical and spelling errors in their email correspondence or an email address that does not match their company name.
• Salary and benefits seem "too - good - to - be - true".
• Promise you a job or offer you the secret to getting a job.
• Promise that you will make lots of money by working at home.
• Offer you a certificate to improve your chances of getting a job.

If at any point you question an employer or job posting's legitimacy, please contact the Career Design Center immediately at (585) 245-5721 or by email at careers@geneseo.edu. Please visit this webpage for additional information regarding job search safety.