When applying for a job, if something doesn\u2019t feel right, it likely isn\u2019t.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s the message Brock\u2019s Career Education is hoping to share with the student community after experiencing a rise in fraudulent job postings.<\/span><\/p>\n The student-targeted scams have included attempts by scammers, posing as employers from legitimate organizations, to use students as pawns in fraudulent activity.<\/span><\/p>\n In one recent incident, a student was \u2018hired\u2019 via email without any face-to-face interaction with the employer and was asked to cash a cheque as part of their new duties.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThankfully, the bank caught the falsified cheque before it went through,\u201d said Lisa Kuiper, who oversees employer development for Career Education. \u201cBut that doesn\u2019t always happen.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n There have been incidents in past years where students have cashed cheques after interactions with what turned out to be an illegitimate employer. The cheques bounce and students are left on the hook for sometimes thousands of dollars, she said.<\/span><\/p>\n Some scams have also seen students providing detailed personal information as part of the application process, which is then used to steal their identity.<\/span><\/p>\n While Brock vets employers before they\u2019re permitted to post on the CareerZone job board, the fraudulent activity is taking place during subsequent steps in the recruitment process, beyond the actual job posting, where career staff are not directly involved. Students are also be targeted on external job boards.<\/span><\/p>\n Fraudsters have been getting more creative with their tactics, making scams harder to identify.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve seen them using the name of a real person working at a legitimate organization, but the contact information is different, or using an email address that looks legitimate but changes when you hit reply,\u201d Kuiper said.<\/span><\/p>\n To help students identify job scams they may encounter during their job search, Career Education has created a tip sheet that can be accessed on\u00a0<\/span>CareerZone<\/span><\/a> and is linked from every job posting on the job board.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe want to educate our students to recognize inappropriate recruitment practices, equip them with resources to support their job search efforts and be available when they have questions or concerns,\u201d said Stephanie Harper, Associate Director, Career Education.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThese job scams are not isolated to Brock students; post-secondary institutions across the country are seeing the same issues on their campuses and we are working together through our network of career centre directors to keep informed of any illegitimate employer activity on our campuses.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n When students see an employment listing that raises concerns, they\u2019re encouraged to contact Career Education.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIf they have questions about something they find on our job board or on another job board and they\u2019re not sure if it\u2019s legitimate, they can come to us,\u201d Kuiper said. \u201cWe encourage that. We\u2019re here to help.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The presence of fraudulent postings tends to come in waves and as the holiday season nears, with many students looking for part-time work, another influx has arrived.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s very frustrating,\u201d Kuiper said. \u201cThey\u2019re taking advantage of an audience that is eager to work and often less experienced in recruitment practices;<\/span><\/p>\n they don\u2019t think to question the process.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Her best advice: \u201cFollow your gut.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIf something doesn\u2019t feel right, don\u2019t apply, don\u2019t take anymore steps to communicate with the employer,\u201d she said. \u201cCome and talk to someone in Career Education and we\u2019ll work with you to make sure it\u2019s a legitimate opportunity.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n When a posting is flagged as fraudulent, other Canadian universities are warned through a network of career centre directors.<\/span><\/p>\n Additionally, the issue is brought to the attention of campus security, who follows up with the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThis way a trail is created,\u201d Kuiper said, which allows the experts to attempt to track down those responsible.<\/span><\/p>\n A full list of potential scams, as well as red flags and tips, is available on the<\/span> CareerZone website<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n