Job Scams

Despite the University Career and Professional Development Center’s (CPDC) employer approval process, there has been a recent job scam incident targeted at TSU students in which the scammer has identified as an employee of a legitimate company but is advertising a fraudulent job opportunity.

Students are asked to provide personal information through a google form and upon being “hired” are then asked to send multiple cashier’s checks to others via FedEx. Recent employer names used in the scam include Manhattan Construction, McKesson and Elkay Manufacturing. Job titles include office assistant, personal assistant and clerical type roles. Duties include paying bills, creating and printing cashier’s check from a template, depositing money and sending checks to individuals. We learned the fraudulent employers state the current advertised position is no longer available. However, offers a personal assistant role and once hired ask the employee to perform duties different than the job posting description.

This a multi-level, pyramid type national scheme and can cause serious financial loss for students. Please contact University Career & Professional Development Center at placementservices@tsu.edu to report any incidents of this nature. CPDC also follows NACE and Handshake best practices to help protect students from fraudulent employers. For more information to protect yourself can be found on the following FTC video below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-4N9z21U7o

Job Scam Warning

College students across the United States continue to be targeted in a common employment scam. Scammers advertise phony job opportunities on college employment websites, and/or students receive e-mails on their school accounts recruiting them for fictitious positions. This “employment” results in a financial loss for participating students.

How the scam works:

  • Scammers email or post online job advertisements soliciting college students for various positions.
  • The student employee receives counterfeit checks in the mail or via e-mail and is instructed to deposit the checks into their personal checking account.
  • The scammer then directs the student to withdraw the funds from their checking account and send a portion, via wire transfer, to another individual. Often, the transfer of funds is to a “vendor”, purportedly for equipment, materials, or software necessary for the job.

Remember: Fraudulent job opportunities are often presented as easy and convenient ways to make money with very little effort. The following “red flags” are general markers shared to help you conduct a safer job search and to help you protect your identity. These red flags in no way cover all possible instances of fraud. Therefore, please always use your own discretion when applying to a position or interacting with a potential employer.

  • Do not give your personal bank account, PayPal account, or credit card numbers to a new employer. 
  • Do not agree to have funds or paychecks direct deposited into any of your accounts by a new employer.
  • Do not forward, transfer, send by courier, or "wire" any money to any employer, for any employer, using your personal accounts(s).
  • Do not transfer money and retain a portion for payment.
  • Do not respond to suspicious and/or “too good to be true” job postings or unsolicited job emails.

If you have any questions or concerns about a job offer and/or posting, please immediately reach out to placementservices@tsu.edu or call the University Career and Professional Development Center 713- 313-7346 for clarification.

If you receive an email and you are unsure if it is a legitimate message, forward the message to TSUITsecurity@tsu.edu. TSU UIT Security will verify whether or not it is legitimate.