Safe Job Hunting
Protecting Yourself from Fraudulent Job Postings
The University of Louisville Career Development Center posts jobs for the convenience of students. Any posting by an employer is not endorsed by the University, nor do we promote them. The University does not make any guarantees on employment with any employer. These postings, and our efforts, should be used as an assistance/connector for the students and the employers. The University is not responsible for safety, wages, working conditions, or any other aspect of off-campus employment without limitations. The student’s responsibility is to research the employer and making a sound judgment on where they should apply for the position.
We are dedicated to providing the safest possible environment for you to search for jobs and manage your career. To assist with that goal, we ask that you keep a few simple security precautions in mind when evaluating job postings.
Regardless of the job board or website used, be aware that fraudulent job postings exist. Be cautious of any employer or job posting that:
- Asks for your financial information such as credit card or bank account numbers
- Does not have an e-mail that matches the company domain (i.e. they use live, gmail, yahoo, or similar e-mail addresses)
- Requires an initial financial investment
- Promises you a payment or percentage in return for processing financial transactions
- Asks you to send payment by wire service, courier (FedEx, UPS), or cashier’s check
- Does not provide a phone number or when you call the phone number, no one answers
- Posts a job that is overly vague or engages in “double speak” (verbose but doesn’t really convey anything)
- Promises to get rich quick with little effort, work from home, etc. or it “sounds too good to be true”
- Offers a “virtual” position and you never have the opportunity to meet with, or speak directly to them
- Offers you a position simply by having you reply to the posting without interviewing you
- Is poorly written and contains grammar and spelling errors
- “Bait and switch” positions, meaning they post a legitimate sounding position then follow up with you about a different position that sounds questionable
Additional articles about fraudulent/scam employment:
- UofL Information Technology Services: https://louisville.edu/its/phishbowl/phishbowl
- Federal Trade Commission: http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0243-job-scams
- USA.gov: https://www.usa.gov/stop-scams-frauds
- Kentucky Attorney General Scam Alerts: https://ag.ky.gov/safeguarding-kentuckians/scam-alerts
Web sites to check for scam reports:
- Rip Off Report: www.ripoffreport.com
- Better Business Bureau: http://www.bbb.org/
- Conduct an Internet search using the organization’s name and the word “scam” to see what comes up
Filing a consumer complaint:
- FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3): https://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx
- Federal Trade Commission: https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/#crnt
- Kentucky Attorney General Consumer Complaints: https://ag.ky.gov/consumer-protection/complaints/Pages/default.aspx
- Local Law Enforcement Agencies
Report fraudulent emails to the University:
Students who receive a scam email to their student email address should report it to UofL Information Technology Services.