Phishing emails targeting students with fake job scams

Phishing emails that target students with fake job scams continue to be prevalent. A number of U-M students, including incoming high school students who haven’t attended U-M yet, have reported scam emails about work-from-home job opportunities.

The scammers use publicly available directory information to obtain the students’ U-M email addresses. Students who reply and express interest are asked to provide detailed contact and identity information (address, date of birth, and so on).

Please be aware of this ongoing scam and share this reminder with staff who may be contacted by students.

Tips to spot job scam emails

• The greeting may be "Dear student." The scammers typically claim to have gotten the student's email address from a "school database."
• The email refers to a job the student did not apply for, although the student may have expressed interest in employment opportunities at U-M.
• The "wages" offered are unusually high, and the job duties are vague.
• The student may be offered money before doing any work.
• Perform a web search for a distinctive phrase or sentence within the email text to see if others have reported similar scams.
• The domain of the sender’s email address is public, such as an “@gmail” account.
• Always be suspicious of unexpected requests for personal information from people you do not know.

Example of a job scam email

Dear Student,

We got your contact through your school database and I'm happy to inform you that our reputable company, (recognizable company name), is currently running a student empowerment program. This program is to help devoted and hardworking students secure a part time job which does not deter them from doing any other, you just need a few hours to do this weekly and with an attractive weekly wage.

KINDLY EMAIL BACK WITH YOUR PERSONAL EMAIL ADDRESS IF INTERESTED IN THIS JOB POSITION.