Avoid job scams
Posted on: January 28, 2020; Updated on: January 28, 2020
By Caleigh McDaniel, stucomm@mailbox.sc.edu
As you begin your search for job and internship opportunities in the new year, the UofSC Career Center wants to help keep you safe from potential job scams and identify theft. When applying for positions, remember that official jobs and internships that have been vetted and approved by the UofSC Career Center can be found in the university’s official career management platform, Handshake.
You can search and apply for thousands of opportunities on Handshake, or check out the “Let’s Get to Work” section of the student e-newsletter to see a list positions. Be sure to steer clear of emails that do not mention the university or Handshake specifically. If the email does not contain a specific job title, or the sender is requesting you to provide personal financial information via email, this is a huge red flag and should be reported to phishing@sc.edu.
Here are other ways to identify a potential scam:
- The contact appears to be from a reputable company, but the domain in their email address does not match the domain used by the company (such as the contact using @gmail, @yahoo, @hotmail, etc.)
- The position requires an initial investment, such as having to purchase equipment in order to earn a wage or having to pay for necessary training.
- The company website is not active, does not exist or re-links you to an unrelated site.
- The employer contacts you by phone, but there is no way to call them back.
If you feel you are involved in a scam, immediately contact the USC Police Department at 803-777- 4215, the USC Career Center at 803-777-7280 or career@sc.edu and the Information Technology Department at 803-777-0707 or it@sc.edu. Get in touch with your bank or credit card company and dispute any fraudulent activity immediately. If the scam happened online, file a report with the Federal Trade Commission’s Cybercrime Division.
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