Eye on Scams: College employment scams

LAFAYETTE, La. ( ) — Students trying to earn money are losing money because of employment scams.

Chris Babin, CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Acadiana , said scammers are targeting students who are looking for short-term jobs for over winter break.

"These scammers are contacting students and pretending to be associated with the school," Babin said.

The job opportunity email appears to be a professor offering the student an easy job, such as a personal assistant or an intern.

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KLFY Daily Digest A lot of times there is no interview process.

"Anybody that's interested gets the job," Babin said. "Of course, they tell you it's a select opportunity that only you're eligible for."

The scam is that the job isn't real. However, it isn't the only scam in the situation. Scammers ask students for their bank information during the hiring process or during the "job" to steal money from those trying to earn money.

"They either need a bunch of personal identifiable information or they're going to send you a fake check and want you to send money elsewhere,' Babin said.

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"In some instances, they say, 'We want to send you money to help get the supplies you need for the role. We need your bank account so that we can wire the information,'" he continued.

Here are ways college students can avoid employment scams:

Beware of red flags. Scammers often hire people without an interview and sometimes pay you before you've done any work.

Examine the email address. Make sure those offering the job match the domain used by the actual company. Google business email addresses aren't always legitimate.

Never send money to strangers. Never send funds in cash, checks, gift cards or wire transfers. No legitimate business will ask you to pay them to get a job.

Be very wary of some positions. Some jobs are more likely to be scams, such as personal shopper positions or work-from-home jobs.

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Eye on Scams: College employment scams