Please beware Job scam email example below
This job scam was just reported to our team this morning at Date: Thu, Oct 10, 2024 at 10:40 AM
Subject: Administrative assistant needed. Please do NOT respond to the email.
The scammer will attempt to start communications away from your vcu email address to go undetected and will try to have victims cash a fraudulent check. Please contact your bank immediately if you have fallen victim of any job scam.
Example below of the job scam email.
Notice the Please Be Aware of Unsolicited Job Offers
No reputable organization or individual will offer you a job without you applying for it first or having a formal Interview. Here are some tips to help recognize and report these scams. Be wary of unsolicited job offers. Be cautious if you receive an email or message from someone you don’t know offering you a job. Scammers often use fake job postings to lure in unsuspecting victims.
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- Do your research. Before accepting any job offer, research the company and the person who contacted you. Check their website and social media profiles to make sure they are legitimate. Take a look at the individual’s email address and correspondence; if the individual is coordinating with you using personal email services, this may be a sign of a scam.
- Never give out personal information. Scammers may ask for your Social Security number or other personal information as part of a “background check.” Never give out this information unless you know the job offer is legitimate.
- Be suspicious of unusual payment methods. Scammers may ask you to buy gift cards or deposit fraudulent checks as part of your job duties. Legitimate employers will never ask you to do this.
- Report suspicious activity. If you suspect a job offer is a scam, report it to the VCU Information Security Office at [email protected] or the Federal Trade Commission (FTC; https://reportfraud.ftc.gov). You can also file a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3; https://www.ic3.gov). If you have been a victim of such a scam, please consider reporting it to the VCU Police Department at 804-828-1196.
- Do your research. Before accepting any job offer, research the company and the person who contacted you. Check their website and social media profiles to make sure they are legitimate. Take a look at the individual’s email address and correspondence; if the individual is coordinating with you using personal email services, this may be a sign of a scam.
If you need clarification on whether a message is legit, please report it to [email protected].