{"id":8230,"date":"2021-04-20T03:33:55","date_gmt":"2021-04-20T10:33:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/amgtime.com\/blog\/?p=8230"},"modified":"2025-01-31T01:01:20","modified_gmt":"2025-01-31T09:01:20","slug":"common-job-scams-targeting-students-and-how-to-avoid-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/amgtime.com\/blog\/common-job-scams-targeting-students-and-how-to-avoid-them\/","title":{"rendered":"Common Job Scams Targeting Students and How to Avoid Them"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"Job<\/a>
Guide for students to avoid job scammers<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Congratulations, you’re now an adult! You’re ready to be independent and <\/span>moving on to the next steps in life<\/span>. And part of adulting is getting a job. Unfortunately, finding one isn’t so easy these days. And it’s not just because there is a lot of competition as well as a lack of available, good-paying jobs. Students who want to work also have to deal with job scams, also known as recruitment fraud.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Recruitment fraud is when scammers post or offer a fake job to those seeking employment to swindle people out of their money, steal their identity, or even use them for money laundering. According to the <\/span>Better Business Bureau<\/span>, around 14 million people get tricked by job scams with an estimated loss of more than $2 billion every year. And based on their study, individuals aged 18 to 24 are more likely to fall victim to a job scam than those ages 35 and older. Plenty of students needs a source of income and assistance for study<\/a> and living expenses. Those who recently graduated are desperate to get a job and start paying off their student loans<\/a>. Because of these reasons coupled with their inexperience, it’s not difficult to see why students are being targeted by these scammers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are the most common student job scams and all they should know to protect themselves from getting involved.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>Fake Jobs on Social Media\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

\"Social<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Everyone is on social media, so it’s not really surprising that scammers are now using these platforms to find new victims. There are fake Facebook pages<\/a> that post and promote “opportunities.” Sometimes, you’ll find recruitment fraud on legitimate pages, too. You probably also noticed that there are random comments in threads that talk about an “amazing opportunity.” An opportunity that has nothing to do with the topic in the thread. The posters usually tell you to message them directly or to click on a link.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There are also fake jobs on LinkedIn<\/a>. Scammers create fake profiles and post their job listings in LinkedIn Groups. Even real people can be guilty of sharing fake jobs – they just don’t know it.<\/span><\/p>\n

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<\/span>Reshipping scams\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

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\"How<\/a>A reshipping scam is one of the most popular work-from-home opportunities you\u2019ll find offered online. The \u201cjob\u201d involves getting paid to receive a package at home and reshipping it to another address, often outside of the US. It is important to note that there is no legitimate job that involves doing this. In fact, you’ll be committing a crime if you get involved in a recruitment fraud such as this. The packages typically are filled with goods bought online using stolen credit cards.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Some scammers will provide you with prepaid shipping labels so that you won’t need to pay any fees upfront. However, there are others who will ask you to shell out money first for the shipping charges, promising to reimburse you by adding it to your paycheck. Unfortunately, the check might be fake which means you’re out of some money AND you’ve committed a crime.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>Money mule scams\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

Money mules are individuals who transfer funds at someone else’s direction, not knowing that they are laundering money. And the number of teenagers who are tricked into acting as money mules is rising – by 73% in the space of just two years. In fact, some of them are being victimized by influencers on social media. One such influencer on Instagram, <\/span>Kayla Massa<\/span><\/a>, was arrested and charged for scamming more than 45 of her followers and businesses out of at least $1.5 million. Most of their followers were under the age of 18.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"How<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

How does the scam work? Once the student agrees, the scammers will deposit money into the account. Then, they’ll ask him\/her to give part of the money (without their cut) to someone else through wire transfer, gift cards, cryptocurrency, or even cash. The checks and money orders are usually illegally obtained and\/or counterfeit. And when the bank finds out the check is fake, the students might be asked to repay it. Worse, the students unknowingly become part of a large fraud network, resulting in them becoming charged with several criminal offenses such as fraud and money laundering. This can result in hefty fines and\/or prison time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>Career Consulting Scams<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

\"How<\/a>Sometimes, desperate times call for desperate measures. And that’s exactly what some less-than-honorable career consultants are hoping for. These individuals are looking for people who are desperately in need of a job. They will tell you that you have an impressive resume and would like to help you find a job. But to ensure your success, you’ll need to improve certain skills which means purchasing some of their products or services, including training sessions. While their job may be valid, getting you to buy their products and\/or services before helping you get a job is still a scam.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>Phishing Scams<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

\"What<\/a>Phishing is when someone attempts to steal another person\u2019s sensitive information (i.e. credit card numbers, log-in information, social security number) through social engineering attacks<\/a>. This can be done over the phone or online. The scammers often pretend to be part of a legitimate organization to trick you into revealing sensitive data.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There are several ways that they do this. You might receive an email telling you that they have an open position in their company that you are qualified for. To apply for the job, you’re given a link that directs you to a form that requires your personal information. You might receive a call from a recruiter who wants to set up a time for an interview and asks you to provide certain information. Or, you might get hired first before your “employer” asks you to provide them with your bank details, social security number, passport, etc.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>Recognize and Avoid Job Scams<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

It\u2019s not always easy to discern whether a job is a recruitment fraud\u00a0 or not, especially these days. This is why it\u2019s incredibly important that you are able to spot them before you get swindled out of your time or, worse, your hard-earned money.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>\"Guide<\/a>Avoid<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n