Protecting Yourself from Employment Scams

The Smart Choice

Unfortunately, not every job advertisement is what it seems to be. Dishonest individuals and companies sometimes try to prey on students who don’t have the experience to distinguish between legitimate job opportunities and those that are actually scams.

There have been fraudulent employer accounts created on the Cowboy Job Link with the purpose of getting contact information from students in order to commit fraud. The Career Center works to delete these accounts and prevent new accounts from being uploaded. if you suspect an employer account is fraudulent, please contact the Career Center immediately.

Scammers have also contacted students about potential job opportunities in order to collect personal information for fraudulent purposes. In a common scam, scammers will request a student cash a check or money order for a portion of the funds. Students may be able to cash the checks and complete the transaction, but these checks are bad and will bounce, and the student, not the “employer,” is held responsible for the lost funds.

No one from the Career Center will ever give an employer your email address or contact information without directly receiving your permission first. If you are contacted, via email or phone, by someone claiming to have received your information from the Career Center, do not give out any personal information and contact the Career Center immediately. If you encounter a situation where you have reason to believe a scam is taking or has taken place, contact University Police at 337-475-5711 and the Career Center at 337-475-5181.