Fraudulent Job or Internship Postings
Beware of lies. Search wise.
The Dartmouth Center for Professional Development (CPD) makes every reasonable effort to screen employers and opportunities on Handshake to prevent fraudulent postings.
However, we cannot guarantee that every employer and job or internship posting is legitimate. Be aware that internet job scams are a growing problem, and it’s up to you to identify scammers who want your money or personal info.
How do you recognize a scam?
Don’t wait until it’s too late! If a posting or follow-up communication raises any of the following concerns, proceed with caution and alert the CPD:
- Never part with your money. Any offer that requires that you pay from your own funds in advance is probably a scam.
- Check scam lists. Always check with organizations such as Better Business Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission to see if the organization has been reported as a scammer.
- Google the employer name and the word “scam”
- Offers without interviews. Always remember that reputable companies are not going to offer you a role without interviewing you first. Never accept a job offer that has come through via email, when you have never had an interview.
- Fake URLs (websites). Scammers often use fake URLs to mask themselves as large, well-known corporates. Double-check the URL, or the web address of the employer.
- Receiving offers for opportunities you did not apply for. If you receive an offer in your inbox for a job or
internship that you have not applied for, then it is too good to be true. - Never part with your social security number or personal information prior to being hired. The only time you
should be handing over personal information, such as social security numbers, is after you have been hired and are setting up payment and tax information. - Be cautious of emails with grammatical and spelling mistakes. Many scam emails are poorly written and not thoroughly proofread.
- Any recruiter or company that corresponds from a free email account, such as Yahoo, Live, Hotmail or Gmail may be a scammer. Legitimate job-related emails will come from corporate email accounts.
Thoroughly research the employer and the opportunity.
If you suspect a posting is fraudulent, it is extremely important that you proceed with caution. Do not click on any links and do not provide any personal information. Please contact the CPD (cpd@dartmouth.edu or 603-646-2215) immediately and end all communications with the employer.
If you believe you are the victim of fraud resulting from a posting, please also contact the police.
If the incident occurred completely over the internet, you can file an incident report with the US Department of Justice or by contacting the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).