ATLANTA (WSAV) — The FBI is warning students of a scam with fake job offers on college employment websites and college email accounts recruiting for positions that don’t exist.
“We are trying to put a deterrence since these individuals typically target young individuals or college students or ones out of college to open an account so that they can use that account for check fraud.”
The FBI says criminals will require personal and confidential data to set up the payment like bank details or direct deposit information, and then mail out counterfeit checks – eventually requiring students to send a portion of it back for “vendor” payments, training fees for the “fake job,” Atlanta FBI Supervisory Special Agent Aaron Seres explained.
“From the victim’s side be diligent to contact your bank immediately and from the subject side we are out there looking for you and we are taking check fraud very seriously.”
Agents say by the time the bank clears the check – it is usually too late – with the students being scammed by transferring over the cash.
“If you are a college student or young individual and being asked to open an account not for use – you are complicit in a federal felony and could get into a lot of trouble or jail time,” Seres said. “I encourage the young folks out there to turn those opportunities down and walk away.”
That’s why investigators say – never wire or transfer money to accounts or accept a job that requires checks to be deposited in advance.
The FBI says, as a result, the student’s bank account may be closed to fraudulent activity and also affect your credit score. The FBI also says most scammers will have incorrect grammar and spelling issues and to always forward suspicious emails to your college’s IT department and FBI.
