Job scams targeting students: how to spot a fake job offer
A job offer is almost certainly a scam if it asks you to pay for anything, deposit a check and send part of it back, buy equipment or gift cards, or share bank details before you've been hired. Other red flags: an offer after a text-only chat, pay far above the norm for easy work, and a personal email address. Report scams to the FTC.
What do student job scams look like?
- Fake checks: the “employer” sends a check for supplies or a first paycheck and asks you to send part of it back or on to a vendor. The check bounces days later, and the money you sent is gone.
- Equipment scams: you're hired after a chat, then told to buy a laptop or software from their supplier, to be reimbursed later.
- Reshipping: you receive packages at home and forward them, often goods bought with stolen cards.
- Paid tasks: you're paid small amounts to like videos or rate products, then asked to deposit your own money to unlock bigger earnings.
- Fake campus jobs: research assistant, mystery shopper or personal assistant roles sent to a school email by someone posing as a professor or employer.
What are the red flags of a fake job offer?
| Red flag | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| You're asked to pay for training, a background check, equipment or a starter kit | Real employers don't charge you to work for them. |
| A check arrives with instructions to send some of the money back | A check can seem to clear and still be fake, and you owe the bank what you withdrew. |
| The whole process happens by text or a chat app | Real employers usually speak with you by phone or video before an offer. |
| The offer comes before an interview, or right after a short one | Real hiring takes time and involves the team. |
| The email comes from a personal address or a slightly wrong domain | Recruiters normally write from the company's own domain or its hiring system. |
| The pay is far above the norm for simple work | High pay for easy remote tasks is the usual lure. |
| You're pressed to act today | Pressure stops you from checking. |
How do you check whether a job offer is real?
- Find the posting on the employer's own careers page through a search, not through a link in the message.
- Contact the company through a phone number or email on its own website and ask whether the person and the role are real.
- Search the company's name, the recruiter's name and the exact wording of the offer, with the word scam.
- Ask your school's career center; it sees the same scams across campus.
- Never deposit a check from an employer you haven't verified.
What should you do if you've been scammed?
- Stop replying, and don't send any more money.
- Call your bank or card company right away and ask them to stop or reverse what they can.
- Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.
- If you shared your Social Security number, go to IdentityTheft.gov for a recovery plan.
- Tell your school's career center, so it can warn other students.
Sources
- Federal Trade Commission — Job Scams: How fake job offers work, the payment requests that give them away, and where to report one.
- Federal Trade Commission — How To Spot, Avoid, and Report Fake Check Scams: Why a check that clears can still be fake, and the 'deposit this and send some back' pattern fake employers use.
- FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3): Where to report an online fraud, including a fake job or internship offer, to the FBI.
Questions people ask
How do I know if a job offer is a scam?
If it asks you to pay, to deposit a check and send money back, to buy equipment, or to share bank details before you're hired, treat it as a scam. Real employers don't charge you to work.
Do real employers send checks before you start?
No legitimate employer sends you a check to deposit and forward. A check can seem to clear and still bounce days later, leaving you responsible for the money.
Are remote data entry and personal assistant jobs scams?
Not always, but they are common scam titles. Verify the company and the person through the employer's own website before sharing anything.
Where do I report a job scam?
To the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov. Tell your bank and your school's career center too.
Can a job scam use a real company's name?
Yes. Scammers often pose as real employers. Contact the company through its own website to check whether the role and the person are real.
Try it on your own search
Carir finds the roles employers posted today, scores each one against your resume with the lines that earned it, and tailors without inventing experience. The free plan includes the job board and the tracker.