Warning: Job Scams & Fraud

Boston College students have recently been targeted by fake job offer scams. Some BC students have received unsolicited emails on their BC email accounts recruiting them for fake on-campus jobs.

Here are a couple of samples of email job offer scams:

  • “Due to Pandemic under the Coronavirus response and supplemental appropriation act, CARES Act Funding from the U.S Department of Education is currently hiring students to work remotely and get paid $350 weekly.”
  • “To proceed with the application process submit your full name, functional phone number, interested job position and major via this email address or text the director representative (360) 912-8930 to receive the job description and further information.”

As a rule, students are only hired for on-campus student jobs through official channels like an @bc.edu email address, or an application submitted through our ​Boston College Student Employment ​Job Listings page, BC Handshake account, or another official bc.edu website. Any email you receive that is not sent by any email address ending in @bc.edu should be viewed as suspicious. Example: @gmail, @yahoo, @hotmail, etc.

Tips on how to protect yourself from job scams:

  • Never give out personal information like your Social Security or bank account number over email or phone.
  • Never take cashier’s checks or money orders as a form of payment. Fake checks are common, and the bank where you cash it will hold you accountable.
  • Never cash a check that comes with “extra” money, and do not buy gift cards and send barcodes at an employer's request. Scammers send checks that require you to deposit a check at your bank, withdraw the “extra” money as cash, and then deposit that cash elsewhere. The check will bounce, and you will be held accountable.
  • Never wire funds via Western Union, MoneyGram, or any other service. Anyone who asks you to wire money is a scammer.
  • Never apply for jobs listed by someone far away or in another country. Beware of emails offering to hire you without ever meeting you in person or via video call (i.e., Zoom).
  • Never agree to a background check unless you have met the employer in person.
  • Never apply for a job that is emailed to you out of the blue.
  • Look for poor use of the English language in emails, such as incorrect grammar, capitalization, and tenses.
  • Do not respond to any offers coming from an unofficial email address or an unofficial communication channel like a text message.

If you receive any suspicious emails, please forward them to BC Information Technology Services at security@bc.edu or phishing@bc.edu. If you feel that you have been a victim of a job scam, you can stop by the Boston College Police Department at Maloney Hall to file a report.

More information on how to identify job scams can be found on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) website. You can also sign up for scam alerts through the FTC here. If you see or lose money to a job scam, report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

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