Attention, students: School’s out soon – and summer job scams are heating up

If you’re a high school or college student looking forward to spending your summer break making some cash – we commend you! Early work experience can really boost your job and earning prospects after graduation.  

One word of warning, though: Not all job opportunities are what they seem. Like you, scammers are hard at work, looking to rip off unsuspecting job seekers. The Better Business Bureau says employment scams are the second-riskiest scam type in the U.S. (Investment scams are the first.)

Online job searches make job-hunting easier than ever. But be careful online and expect that some of the jobs you find will be scams. Many employment scammers are very convincing, and they’ve developed sophisticated technology skills that can make them seem credible, even if they’re absolutely not.

Scammers target students

Some of the most common scams used to target students looking for seasonal or part-time work involve these types of jobs:

• Internships
• Mystery shopping
• Work-from-home positions, including envelope stuffing, shipping
• Model/talent agency work
• Pet sitting and babysitting

What to watch for and avoid

Always keep in mind: A job scammer will be looking to steal your money or your identity.

Be wary of:

• Offers that require you to pay up-front for the application, training, supplies, etc.
• Requests for personal information (especially your social security number and banking details).
• Unsolicited offers that you receive by email or text.
• Positions that offer high hourly rates for little work (too good to be true!).
• Employers who say they’ll hire you without an interview or pay you before you do any work.
• People who pressure you to sign an employment contract or start the job immediately. (A legitimate employer understands that accepting a job is a big decision and will allow you time to think it through.)

Protect yourself and stay safe online

Got an offer? Congrats! But, before you act, do your due diligence:

• Go online to do your own search – not using a link that was provided to you – to see if the company has the same job listed on its officiate website.
• Watch for grammatical errors, misspellings and strange punctuation in the listing or emails you receive (a common signal in overseas scams).
• Don’t send money or personal information to anyone.
• If you feel any suspicion, trust your gut. Enlist an adult you trust to help you examine the details and verify the offer before you take the leap.

Learn more:

Visit FTC.gov to find tips about how to avoid scams and find a real summer job.

Visit BBB.org for tips on spotting and avoiding employment scams.