Email Hoaxes
It has come to our attention that students at Baruch College and other CUNY campuses have received a message with the subject “Important Message from College Finance Department.” The message offers a “covid-19 financial aid grant.” The message is NOT from the College; it is a scam designed to get students to divulge their personal information. If you have received this message, please delete it. If you responded to the message and provided your personal information, please contact helpdesk@baruch.cuny.edu for assistance with changing your passwords and taking further action, if necessary.
Remain Vigilant Against Scams and Phishing
The College has distributed previous warnings about email scams. Please keep the following in mind regarding any message you receive:
– Do not provide personal information (home address, user names, etc.) in response to emails, text messages, or websites that come from someone you do not know or from a suspicious email sender.
– Never provide your password in an email.
– Do not deposit checks from unknown senders.
– Do not click on links or open attachments in suspicious emails.
– Be wary of messages requesting urgent action.
While we work actively to identify and prevent these messages, our ability to keep users secure is critically dependent on the Baruch community being educated and skeptical about fraudulent messages. Please remain alert, as scams can happen at any time and dupe individuals of all ages and backgrounds and all levels of tech sophistication.
Job Scams
This is a reminder to bring your attention to recent job scams and email hoaxes. Although it is not from Starr Search, we want to bring it to your attention. Here is the latest job scam that we received: Job Scam. If you received these types of job scams, please delete it immediately and flag it as spam in your Baruchmail email system. Do not engage in any correspondence with the sender. Please read this announcement to on how to look out for warning signs and to better protect yourself against these hoaxes and scams.
Warning Signs
Look out for the following warning signs in any job posting you encounter:
· Hiring manager promises a large salary with minimal work required.
· Hiring manager offers you a position without any sort of interviewing process being conducted.
· Hiring manager is using a personal email or an address that doesn’t match the company name.
· The position expects you to transfer wire funds between accounts.
· The company sends you a large check and requires you to cash it using your personal account.
· The company/hiring manager asks for personal information like social security number or bank account.
Remember:
· Do not deposit any check before you start working at a new job
· Do not lend any money or pay fees to prospective employers
· Do not share any personal information unless it is submitted to a trusted source
· Be aware of any free checks or calls that look questionable and ask for personal information
· Apply for jobs directly to company website, Starr Search and any other trusted source
For more information visit The Federal Trade Commission Consumer Information on Job Scams.
Resources for Reporting Suspicious Employers and Fraudulent Job Postings
Are you the victim of a fraudulent job posting? Please see the following resources available for you to get help.
· Starr’s resources on how to avoid job scam.
· Federal Bureau of Investigation Internet Crime Complaint Unit accepts reports of job scams and provides instructions for filing a complaint.
· U.S. Department of Justice accepts reports of job scam incidents that have occurred over the Internet.
Remember to trust your instincts. If communication with an employer or company feels suspicious, end the communication immediately. Report fraudulent activity to us immediately. Please contact us at careerdc@baruch.cuny.edu.
