Notice Board

With classes now over and students seeking summer employment, scammers are looking to cash in and have created new attacks designed to trick people who are just trying to make ends meet. Most recently, companies are offering to pay individuals for using their vehicles as advertising space where all they have to do is apply a few stickers and then drive around town. Seems like a pretty decent opportunity. We've all seen the marketing-covered vehicles before, so why not cash in like everyone else?

The problem with this is that the scammer is not actually going to give you anything and will in fact ask for a deposit on the stickers before they send them to make sure any potential non-compliance with their advertising rules is secured with some money. After sending the deposit, the victim unfortunately realizes there are no stickers coming, and even more disappointing, no income.

So how would we recognize a scam like this that seems to represent something completely legitimate?

1.  Do your research on the company offering the opportunity. 

• What is the email address through which they communicate? Is it a generic @gmail.com or @outlook.com address? 
• Is there a physical address of the company or a phone number you can call to validate details? 
• Have you done any research through the internet to see how valid this offer might be? It's your money and your career and you owe it to yourself to spend a little time investigating where your time and capital are going.

2.  Analyze how they want you to deliver the deposit.  

• Are they asking you for a deposit in non-traceable transactions? (i.e. iTunes Cards, gift cards and Western Union transfers are always a red flag)
• Do they offer a receipt?  Do they charge GST?  What is their GST registration number?
• If they called you and asked for credit card information, do not provide it over the phone.  Only give credit card information over the phone if you initiated the conversation and you've validated the number you called as legitimate and representing the business you're dealing with.

We know the University has received hundreds of these types of scams through email over the last few weeks. We would encourage anyone who is pursuing unsolicited money-making opportunities to step back and make sure they are doing something that is legitimate. If you feel suspicious about a pending transaction, reach out to local law enforcement or the Information Security Office to help dig a little deeper into what is happening.  

Remember the old adage:  If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Stay safe