Job scam alert
May 19, 2020
University of Alaska students have been the target of a job scam that mentions Handshake, UA's new career platform. The scam has been reported to OIT and is a UA-wide issue. The emails did not come from Handshake, but the program is mentioned in the scam email.
Please note that employers who use Handshake can not see users' alaska.edu email addresses, and can only contact users through the Handshake platform if they have an employer trust score of 80 or above. Additionally, users must choose to allow employers to contact them on Handshake before they are allowed to do so.
With the economic disruption of COVID-19, there may be an increase in job scammers. These scammers may post jobs on popular job boards, and they may directly contact people by email to offer them a position. Some scams may use reputable companies as fronts, and may even mention Handshake or UAF to make them seem more legitimate.
Be wary if the job posting or email:
Requests your personal information such as address, phone number, etc., without any previous contact.
Asks for any money or sensitive personal information such as bank accounts, a social security number, etc.
Focuses on money or promises to pay in advance. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Uses an email address that is not linked to the company they represent.
Links to a unprofessional-looking website
Has spelling errors or lacks a professional tone.
References getting your contact information from your university or career center.
Be skeptical, always ask questions, and look up jobs or employers when you are looking at job postings or reading email offers.
Additional resources
Common job scams and how to avoid them
Ten things you can do to avoid fraud
Federal Trade Commission job scam webpage
Look up companies with the Better Business Bureau
If students responded to an email like the one below, reach out to UAF OIT immediately at helpdesk@alaska.edu.