Help wanted? Could be a scam

To the unemployed graduate or student seeking a summer internship, a high-paying job with a low time commitment seems too good to be true.

Most often, it is.

Last week, Penn's Career Services office sent an e-mail to students warning them about fraudulent job and internship opportunities posted online.

Associate Director of Career Services Claire Klieger said Career Services was prompted to send the message to its listservs after being notified of such instances of job fraud by an alumnus.

The alumnus, who had been receiving suspicious e-mails with job offers on a daily basis, sent several samples to Career Services for review.

While Klieger said she hasn't heard of any individual instances of students accepting fraudulent jobs on campus, she said the e-mail sent out to the Penn community was an important proactive measure.

"We would much rather be preventative about this rather than have to be reactive," Klieger explained. "It's the type of thing Penn students should be wary about."

The spam postings circulating the Internet typically attempt to trick recipients into believing that the fictitious company offers an attractive and well-paid part-time or Internet-based position.

According to the press office of Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett -- who cautioned graduates to be wary of job and Internet scams on the Internet last month - the scams operate by duping newly hired employees into wiring money or releasing confidential personal information.

Once tricked, victims are often left with depleted bank accounts or susceptible to identity theft.

Once hired by such a company, graduates only run into problems.

"It's extremely difficult to get your money back if you do fall prey to such a scam," Klieger said. "You often don't realize [a scam] until you are missing a lot of money from your bank."

Potential red flags in fake job posts range from a generic company name or contact e-mail to bizarre language or phrasing in the job description, according to Klieger.

To help determine the legitimacy of a suspicious job posting, Klieger said potential applicants should ask the company with the advertisement for a list of references.

"Especially if it is an intern or volunteer activity, ask to speak with past program participants or alumni," she suggested. "If they are unwilling to give you that information, it is a big red flag that there is something wrong or that they are not legitimate."

Associate Director of Career Services Helen Cheung also emphasized that students should always be wary when an employer requires hires to pay to work.

"A legit position, even for an unpaid internship, shouldn't require you to pay for training or contribute money to the employer up front," she said.

Furthermore, Klieger suggests that students trying to gauge the legitimacy of a potential employer should just go with their gut feelings.

"Use your common sense if something looks too good to be true," she said. "If it doesn't feel quite right, it probably isn't."

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