Be On Alert for Job Scam E-mails

Cybercriminals know that your thoughts are turning to fall semester, including how you’ll pay your expenses. They’ve launched a phishing campaign that promises a job and easy money to those who click through or reply – but actually dupes you into giving criminals money, your personal information or other credentials.

When the plan works, it is because the scammer has successfully engaged you in conversation about an available job. The criminals have various, elaborate schemes involving gift cards and bank deposits, and at first, everything seems legit. Don’t fall for it.

These intricate schemes play the long game by building trust and ultimately separate you from your money. In addition, during the “job application process,” the person posing as a hiring manager requests personal information like name, phone number, social security number, date of birth and financial information, which can lead to identity theft. To make these messages even harder to spot, many appear to come from other Ohio State accounts.

A couple examples of common job scam e-mails that we’ve seen recently are depicted here. These job scam e-mails contain a number of signs you can look for:

• Awkward sentences and poor grammar.
• Attempts to obtain personal information such as name, phone number, social security number, date of birth, or financial information.
• Requiring you reply to a different e-mail address than the sender’s address.
• Asking you to make a purchase or deposit money as part of the job duties.

If you receive a suspicious message, don’t engage with the sender – forward it to report-phish@osu.edu. If you have any questions about a message or if you need help with email, contact the IT Service Desk by phone 614-688-HELP (4357), by email at itservicedesk@osu.edu or by logging in online at go.osu.edu/it. If you’re on main campus, the university provides support for personally owned computers and phones through the BuckeyeBar in the Thompson Library, and Tech Hub.