Orlando, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — Back to school means college students are heading back to campus, and many are also looking for jobs and internships. But scammers are looking for them. Reports of employment scams doubled in 2025 and about one in three Gen Z job seekers say they’ve fallen victim to a job scam.
New classes. New roommates. New semester. And for a lot of college students, a new job search — but be careful! Because when you’re trying to make rent, pay tuition or just earn some extra cash, a good job offer can be hard to pass up.
The company looks real. The recruiter has a name. The email looks professional. But the job? It may not exist.
And young job seekers are getting hit the hardest. About 32 percent of Gen Zers report being the victim of a job scam, compared to 15 percent of Gen X’ers.
And the scam can move fast, first the offer. Big money, flexible hours, very little work, then the ask. Your social security number, bank information, maybe money for a background check or they send you a check to “buy equipment” and ask you to send some of the money back. These are all red flags.
Before you take the job, find it on company website and contact the company directly. Check the recruiter’s email. Does the recruiter’s email match the real company? Don’t use the link the “recruiter” sent you. And if you’re still not sure pick up the phone and call. And most importantly, never pay for a job because a real employer pays you, not vice-versa.
Job platforms like monster and indeed both say their security teams regularly monitor job postings and remove scam listings. But scammers often send direct messages or emails to candidates they find via these web sites. And if you spot a suspicious job offer, report it to the job platform where you found it and to the federal trade commission.
Contributors to this news report include: Julie Marks, Producer; Bob Walko, Editor.
Sources:
https://www.theguardian.com/money/2026/jun/22/job-scams-employment-ai
https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2024/04/college-students-are-targeted-jobs-scams-too-0
