Beware of Remote Job Scams Targeting Washington State College Students
I can't go 5 minutes without hearing about another scam that is making this world just a little bit worse. So here I am telling you about a new one going around, targeting college students looking for a remote work job.
The scam goes a little something like this:
Posting Fake Job Ads:
Scammers will post fake job ads for positions like personal assistants on legitimate job sites or social media platforms. They may also use email to target individuals, making it appear as if the job offer is coming from a reputable source like a professor or a college office.
Sending Fake Checks:
Once you apply for the job and express interest, the scammer will respond by sending you a check. This check is usually for a large amount, and it looks legitimate. They may claim that it's an advance payment, reimbursement for expenses, or for some other reason related to the job.
Instructions to Send Money:
After you deposit the check into your bank account, the scammer will instruct you to send a portion of the money to another account. They might provide various reasons for this, such as covering expenses, purchasing equipment, or paying for training materials.
The Check Bounces:
The check that the scammer sent you is fake, but it can take a few days for the bank to realize this. In the meantime, you've already sent money to the scammer as instructed.
Financial Losses:
Once the bank discovers that the check is fraudulent, they will reverse the deposit, leaving you responsible for the full amount. This means you'll have to repay the bank the money you withdrew, but you won't be able to recover the money you sent to the scammer because it's typically untraceable.
Scammer Disappears:
By the time you realize you've been scammed, the scammer has already vanished with the money you sent them. They may have used fake identities or temporary contact information, making it difficult to track them down.
Conclusion:
And just like that, you have been grifted by some jerk-wad halfway around the world, or maybe in your backyard. The point is they are everywhere, and I, for one, really think it's ruining our faith in humanity, it certainly is mine.
I know it's easy to look at some of these scams and think, "Oh my gosh, how could anyone be dumb enough to fall for something like this?" I encourage you to combat the hate and bad these scammers put into this world and take an empathetic view. I, for one, could see how a scam like this could happen. A college student, up to their neck in debt, looking for another part-time job to help them squeak by another month (we have all been there), and they think they finally caught a break. The days of walking in with a resume and giving a handshake are over when it comes to finding jobs. Unfortunately, what these kids are going through is a new frontier.
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