Fraudulent Job Offer

A frequently-reported scam targeting Kent State is the job offer scam. In this scam, a very tempting job is offered to you in exchange for your account's password or your personal information. Read on to learn how this scam works, what the attackers are after, and how to avoid falling victim to the scammers.

How It Works

You will receive an email from one of several possible sources: a spoofed address, a compromised account from a charity group, or a compromised KSU email. All three options may be used by the scammer to make themselves seem reputable. The subject will encourage you to read the job offer inside, sometimes specifying that it is for students or staff, depending on which group the attacker wants to target.

This email will contain a job offer that claims you can work only one or two hours per day and will receive hundreds of dollars in return. Most scams will also offer a remote option. The scammer will then ask you to click a link that takes you to an application form. This form may ask for information such as your name, address, bank account information, and even your password.

Note: with the use of multi-factor authentication (MFA), your account may remain under your control. You can read more about MFA and its benefits here!

The Scam

Another variant of this scam occurs when the scammer asks for your financial information. Here, the scammer will claim that you have been hired and asks you to make a purchase or charitable donation on their behalf, trying to appeal to your emotions. They will promise that the wages you receive from them will be enough to reimburse you. However, if you make the purchase or donation, you will actually be sending money to an account controlled by the scammer.

The scammer may eventually send you a check for your wages, though this check will be fraudulent. Within a few days at most, your bank will recognize the illegitimacy of the check. Ultimately, you will receive no payment from the scammer and will have lost a large sum of your own money.

Naturally, this scam can also spread through social media. The scammer will send messages to individuals or groups online and offer their job. If you begin messaging this scammer privately, they will begin asking you for personal information or request that you install another messaging app onto your device. If an unfamiliar individual online tries to offer you a job without proving their identity, report and block them immediately.

What Should I Do?

If you have given your FlashLine password to the scammer, change your password immediately. You can also configure your account with MFA to make sure that even if your password is in the hands of an attacker, your account may remain secure.

If you find that you are unable to access your account with your current password, this indicates that the scammer has gained access to your account and changed your password. In this case, you will need to contact the Security team at security@kent.edu or 330-672-5566.

If you receive one of these scams in your inbox, report it to phish@kent.edu or follow the instructions here!

Examples

This email comes from a compromised Kent State University email address. This means that the Subject line will not say EXT: (which means the email is from an external address), and you will not receive a warning at the bottom of the email to not click any links. This message describes a job that is too good to be true, then offers a link for you to click. In this instance, the link led to a Google Form that asked for your username and password.

This email contains an attachment that claims to represent UNICEF. However, the sender's email does not belong to UNICEF or any charity organization. NOTE: NEVER open attachments from an unknown or untrustworthy source. Report the email with the attachment to phish@kent.edu.

Additional Information

FTC article on scams initiated on social media: https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2024/06/job-scams-start-social-media-appointment-setters

UNICEF's statement on scams that impersonate their organization: https://www.unicef.org/careers/beware-fraudulent-job-offers