WASHINGTON, DC — Colleges and universities around the country are warning their students of an online scam that promises jobs but only seeks get money from students.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation issued an alert on the scam last week. Here’s how it works:
- Job opportunities are posted online seeking college students for positions.
- After the student accepts the “job,” they receive counterfeit checks and instructed to deposit them in their personal account.
- The student is instructed to withdraw the money and send it to a third party, such as a “vendor” to pay for equipment and software needed for the job.
Since the checks provided to the students are fake, the bank eventually identifies them as fraudulent and closes or freezes the student’s account. It’s possible the defrauded student becomes responsible for paying back the bank for funds withdrawn, and the student’s credit record can be negatively affected.
Recommendations from the FBI:
- Never take a job that requires you to deposit checks into your account or sending money to others.
- Watch for poor English, because many of these scammers are not native English speakers.
- Forward suspicious to IT personnel at your college or university and to the FBI.
Internet scams can be reported to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.
