What To Do if You Think an Opportunity Is a Scam

If you’re not sure if an opportunity is a scam or not, here’s our advice to help you avoid a challenging situation.

• When in doubt, decline it. It is far easier to live with a missed opportunity than the aftermath of a scam.
• Maintain a healthy skepticism with any opportunity. Anyone can become a target.
• Guard your personal and financial information. Only give it out after you have verified an employer’s identity and accepted an offer.
• Never respond to any suspicious message or click on any unsolicited email or text link.
• Research, research, research. Always verify information from more than one source.
• Ask lots of questions. Legitimate employers are happy to answer your questions; a scammer may become dismissive or even angry if you ask questions.
• Keep your emotions in check. Scams are specifically designed to take advantage of people’s emotions: fear, desperation, insecurity, and generosity, to name a few.
• Talk to the Career Resources and Exploration. The CRE has seen these scams before and can provide support.