Safe Job Searching
You’re looking for an internship or a job and you come across a listing that seems fake or too good to be true. How can you tell if it’s real and not a scam?
A suspicious job description or job offer is one that shows signs it may be unsafe, misleading, or a scam. It often contains red flags that something isn’t right—like vague details, unrealistic promises, or requests for personal information.
Watch Out for These Red Flags
Vague Information
Unrealistic Promises
Unprofessional Behavior
- No company name or unfamiliar one
- No location
- Duties that extremely vague (“Help run errands”)
- No supervisor or contact information
- Very high pay for little or no work
- “No experience needed” paired with unusually large benefits
- Guaranteed job without an interview
- “Act fast! Limited positions!”
- Pressuring you to respond immediately
- Poor grammar or strange email address
Illegitimate Requests
Asking for Odd Tasks
- Asking for bank info
- Asking you to pay for training, equipment, or application fee
- Asking you to cash checks or buy gift cards
- Home based assembly
- Online surveys
- Reshipping or repackaging items
Examples of Suspicious Scenarios
Scenario #1
“Imagine a job listing that says you’ll earn $500 a week just for answering emails from home. It doesn’t explain what company you’re working for or what you’ll actually do. The employer wants your bank account to ‘set up direct deposit’ before you even interview. That’s a typical suspicious job offer—unclear, rushed, and asking for personal information.”
Scenario #2
Job posting for “Independent photographer seeking assistant for weekend shoots. Tasks include equipment set-up, scheduling clients, and making occasional purchase of supplies (you’ll be reimbursed) $25/hr.”
- “Reimbursed purchases” = common method for gift-card/check scams
- No website, portfolio, or business info
- High hourly rate for entry-level assistant work
Scenario #3
Marketing Internship (Remote)
“Start‑up cosmetics brand needs a student intern for outreach and content planning. Flexible hours, remote. Small monthly stipend. When applying, please complete our form and upload a photo of your current student ID and driver’s license.”
- Requests unnecessary personal ID documents
- No company website or socials linked
- Very vague role definition
Resources
If you think a job/internship or employer might be suspicious, please email or call the BJU Center for Career and Calling with any questions. careers@bju.edu
See what the Federal Trade Commission recommends if you believe you were scammed by a suspicious employer.