September 22, 2021
Are you on the lookout for flexible, part-time employment to help cover school expenses? If so, watch out for scams.
Between the COVID-19 pandemic and high unemployment rates, the pressure to find a job may create more pressure for you to find work quickly. UC Berkeley has received numerous reports of employment scams where the sender impersonates Berkeley professors, researchers, and/or university departments. Some scams are easy to spot but how do you know who to trust?
Start with these basic guidelines:
- Be skeptical. If a job sounds too good to be true, it might be a scammer trying to trick you.
- Check the sender. Check the sender's e-mail address before replying or clicking on links. Any correspondence from an organization should come from an organizational e-mail address.
- Trust your instincts. If a job sounds too good to be true, it might be!
Do Not:
- Give out personal information. Things like your Social Security or bank account number should never be shared over email or phone.
- Accept cashier’s checks or money orders as a form of payment. Fake checks are common amongst these scams and the bank where you cash it will hold you accountable.
- Cash a check that comes with “extra” money. 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.
- Wire funds. If someone asks you to wire money, chances are they are a scammer.
