From April 15 to April 30, CaPS front desk hours will be adjusted to 10-12PM and 1PM-4PM.
Booking for advising appointments will resume after May 1.
Drop-Ins are cancelled during the exam period.
From April 15 to April 30, CaPS front desk hours will be adjusted to 10-12PM and 1PM-4PM.
Booking for advising appointments will resume after May 1.
Drop-Ins are cancelled during the exam period.
It is important to educate yourself to identify and avoid potential fraudulent job postings. Use your best judgement when considering a job opportunity and ask yourself the following questions to identify the signs of a job scam.
The "employer" asks via email, text message or through websites, offering to pay the student a weekly salary in exchange for affixing decals to his/her vehicle, turning it into mobile billboard. The student who responds is then sent a cheque for a few thousand dollars and are instructed to deposit that cheque into their bank account, withhold a certain amount, then withdraw the remaining cash and deposit it into the account of the person who has ostensibly been hired to "wrap" their car in advertising. However, the deposited cheque is a counterfeit, and by the time the student's bank discovers that, the cheque has cleared - leaving the student obliged to pay back the bank the entire amount of the cheque.
The "employer" sends a list of tasks to help the student fulfill his/her personal assistance or mystery shopping tasks. The student is then told that one of the assignments is to evaluate a money transfer service, like Western Union. The student receives a cheque with instructions to deposit it in a personal bank account, withdraw the amount in cash, and wire it to a name provided. The student will find out later that the cheque is counterfeit, thus making him/her accountable to pay for the funds he/she wired.
The "employer" asks the student, in order to secure his/her position, he or she must go through a course to be qualified. The student is asked to pay a fee for the course and its materials, and sign a registration form during the job interview. The student will find out later that the employer never sends out any material to him/her, and will not refund the money nor providing a copy of the contract.
The "employer" promises a job in a foreign country and the student is invited for an interview in a hotel suite or rented office. The student is then told that he/she must pay a fee for visas or paperwork up front. In some cases, the employer asks the student to send money for an "information package" to secure the promised foreign job. Later on, when the student receives the package, it only contains a list of company names.
The "employment agency" contacts the student who may have posted his/her resumes online or with a job search engine. The agency then invites the student for an interview and promises an employment with good salary. The student is pressured to sign a contract and pay an administration fee or a fee that the student will be refunded later when he/she is hired. Later on, the student never hears back from the agency or he/she will be given a list of referral companies that have never heard of the agency before.
The “company” advises specialized business opportunities such as Janitorial Service Franchise with phrases like "no experience required" or "experts available to coach you". The company promises the student contracts in exchange for an "investment" fee of several thousand dollars which will make the student a "sub-contractor" or "partner". The company then assures the student that the investment fee will be refunded after a specific time-frame. Later on, the student will learn that the company never delivers what has been promised. Other similar scams include: Starting an Internet business, multilevel marketing, buying a franchise.
The "employer" asks the student for a small fee to learn how to earn lots of money by stuffing envelopes at home. After sending the payment, the student finds out that the promoter never had any work to offer. The employer then asks the student to tell and ask his/her relatives and friends to buy the same envelop-stuffing "opportunity". The only way the student can make money is if other people respond the same way as he/she did. Other similar scams include: Assembly or craft work, rebate processing, online searches, or medical billing.
Companies send e-mails directly to individual email addresses. The emails are often from Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail and occasionally a fake company domain name. The e-mails may contain a link to a posting that appears to come from a legitimate job search site or company but it is in fact fraudulent. The "employer" of the e-mails usually provide students opportunities to become a company representative or a regional manager with flexibility to work from home.
LinkedIn helps job seekers reach out potential employers and stay in touch with professionals in the field. Though LinkedIn is meant to be a platform for professional connections, it also attracts scammers looking for target victims.
Online sexual harassment is on the rise. Stalkers use LinkedIn to connect and send unwanted messages, unsolicited comments and other forms of sexual harassment. For those who are targeted, the effects can range from emotional distress to reputational damage, even fear for one’s personal safety.
If a LinkedIn member is sending you inappropriate messages or demeaning comments, you do not have to respond back. To stop the online harassment, you should take appropriate actions:
To report inappropriate online social behavior, please consult the LinkedIn Help site: Recognizing and reporting spam, inappropriate, and abusive content
This is one of the most common LinkedIn scams. Scammers send out email invitations similar to an authentic LinkedIn email (with a LinkedIn logo) to invite you click on the hyperlink included in the email. If you click on the hyperlink, it usually brings you to a compromised website that automatically downloads malicious malware.
It is a good practice to not click on any link in the emails from people you do not know.
The scammer has a fake LinkedIn profile and sends you an invitation requesting to connect with you. Accepting the invitation usually follows with messages that bring you to a compromised website that automatically downloads malicious software on your device.
It is a good practice to check out people who want to connect with you. Warning signs of fake profiles include an incomplete profile, poor grammar, and lacking in obvious relevant field/school.
This email tells you that your account is blocked due to inactivity on LinkedIn and asks you to confirm your email address and/or password. The content of this email usually includes a hyperlink that takes you to a compromised website looking similar to that of the official LinkedIn site where it asks to update your username and password. If you submit your email and password, your digital identity is stolen.
Though LinkedIn is meant to be a platform for professional connections, it does not stop scammers to use it to lure you under the pretext of a prospective romantic relationship. The messages usually look like someone is truly interested in you and address the messages to you specifically by including your name. If you answer to these messages, your email is stored for future spam campaigns.
When you are applying a job:
If you believe that you are the victim of fraud resulting from a job listing, or if you want to report a fraud, please contact: