Job Posting Email Scams
Students, faculty, and staff at Delaware Tech are getting caught in fake emails about job offerings and special awards that are compromising their computers, devices, and potentially their future. Taking a few seconds to pause and check the email will save you later headaches.
Check It, Before You Click It
Fraudulent emails, most recently about job postings, could take your money, your personal information, and possibly, jeopardize your future. If you have ever lost your wallet or purse, think about how much trouble it was to contact all the companies that connect with your money. Now picture what would happen if you didn’t know your wallet or purse was stolen, but someone was making thousands of dollars of purchases, opening credit cards in your name, and potentially making it difficult to buy a car, a house, and even get a job.
Here is a real email that was sent out across campus. What are the red flags?
Did you identify the following items when you looked at the email?
Can you spot different items that should make you want to “Check it, before you Click it?”
Why should you be suspicious of the above email/ad?
- Jessie Smith – Generic name, no job title, no company
- It is addressed to generic group such as “students or faculty.”
- Job description is generic, broad job duties, high pay for little responsibility, desirable hours, and days (while this is not necessarily a bad thing it can be a flag).
- Contact information is generic/home email only, no phone number or address.
- The email in the box has a generic Click Here button
- If there is contact information it may be for an out of country or out of state address or phone number
- They may ask for personal financial information such as bank account number or credit card number.
- May be in an unprofessional format or use slang.
- May have spelling or grammar errors.
- If it is for an outside company, you may search for the company and not find anything.
- There is no interview required.
- It is unsolicited
- College email accounts
- Job search websites
- Social Media
- Don’t respond, it may go to a fraudulent email address or it may be setup to delete immediately from a compromised sender’s inbox.
- Email the DTCC person directly, not as a reply to email you received. Ask that person if he/she sent the email about this topic. It’s also wise to call or IM them asking if they emailed you.
- Report it to the cyber security team.
- DTCC will never send job postings by email!