Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody is warning of a new scam targeting college students with what appear to be work-from-home employment opportunities.
According to Moody, the scam targets students via emails that appear to be sent from a college or university advertising fictitious work-from-home employment opportunities. The emails are then used to obtain personal information from the student while posing as a university representative.
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The individuals behind the tactics then convince students to cash counterfeit checks and send them the money, a news release read.
“During the COVID-19 crisis and resulting economic downturn, Floridians are looking for work, and it is unconscionable that scammers are exploiting these times of uncertainty to prey on our college students,” Moody said. “Students who fall victim to this scam could face serious repercussions to their financial stability and credit record. I am urging all students currently enrolled at Florida colleges and universities to take extra precaution when receiving online job offers.”
Moody’s Consumer Protection Division found that students who fall victim to the scam may experience bank accounts being closed due to fraudulent activity and a report filed by the bank with a credit bureau or law enforcement agency. According to a news release, the student would be responsible for reimbursing the bank for the total amount of the counterfeit checks, oftentimes resulting in an adverse effect on the student’s credit record.
To avoid these types of employment scams, Moody suggested the following steps:
- “Research the company before accepting any job offer. Does the company have a professional website and legitimate contact information? Search for what others are saying about experiences with the company”
- “If the solicitor is communicating via email, locate contact information for the sender through the school’s website and confirm whether the job offer is real”
- “Look for red flags, such as typos and grammatical errors. Offers of employment or pay without an interview are another sign of an employment scam”
- “Never send funds in the form of cash, checks, gift cards or wire transfers to secure a job or as part of an assigned duty by a new employer”
“Anyone who believes they are the victim of hacking or a COVID-19 related scam should contact the Florida Attorney General’s Office at 1(866) 9NO-SCAM or MyFloridaLegal.com,” officials said in a news release.