Community Advisory on Fraudulent Job Postings

The Boston Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) recently released an informational document, Malicious Actors Using Fraudulent Job Postings on University Job Boards to Target Student.

FBI Boston identified a pattern of fraudulent job postings on electronic and physical job boards at several universities. Additionally, emails sent directly to students from perpetrators claimed the sender worked in the United States, but needed a person to assist with tasks while they were abroad.

Postings asked that students pay bills for the job poster, who sent a large sum to the student by check, requesting that they keep a weekly fee from the deposit and then transfer the remaining amounts through MoneyGram or Western Union. The deposited checks would bounce, resulting in the student’s loss of money.

In other instances the job postings requested that the student reply with an application that included Personal Identifiable Information to include: full name, address, cell phone number, age, occupation, gender and banking information.  

 The Emerson College Police Department (ECPD) would like to remind the community of a few safety tips to practice:

• Beware of job postings offering to send money and requesting that a student receive money to purchase items or pay bills on another’s behalf.
• Consider carefully all requests for Personal Identifiable Information.
• Be suspect of emails with urgent language, misspelling and strange grammar.
• Trust your instincts and use common sense. If something seems wrong, more times than not, your instincts will be correct.
• Hard copies of approved fliers and approved postings on internal boards should have a registration stamp from Student Engagement & Leadership (SEAL).

ECPD provides safety escorts to members of the community upon request, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This service will provide students, faculty, and staff with walking or motor vehicle escorts between locations on campus, including 12 Hemenway Street, as well as to the Park Street MBTA Station, Chinatown Orange Line MBTA Station, Arlington Street MBTA Station, and points in between.

 Please report all criminal or suspicious activity on campus to the ECPD at our emergency line: 617-824-8888 or off campus to the Boston Police at 911.