Rider University Career Development and Success offers Handshake as a resource for employers to connect with Rider students and alumni seeking career related opportunities including internships, co-ops, and part and full time jobs.
Rider University is not responsible for the content of any information provided by any person or organization on this web site, nor is Rider responsible for the conduct of any such person or organization. Because we endeavor to keep fraudulent and scam postings off Handshake each employer and position is reviewed and approved by someone on our Career Development and Success team. Unfortunately, due to the high volume of postings, it is impossible to ensure that every one is legitimate.
If you receive a suspicious email or phone message from an employer, have suspicious contact with an employer during an interview or in-person interaction, feel uncomfortable about a job opportunity you receive by email or find on any job board or if a job opportunity seems "too good to be true" do not click on any links and do not provide any personal information. It is extremely important to exercise caution and tell the Career Development and Success Office by phone at (609)-896-5000 (ext. 5058) or email at [email protected].
Generally, if a job posting, email, or interaction with an employer contains any of the following, end all contact with the employer and notify the Rider University Career Development and Success immediately:
- Offers to pay a large amount of money for very little work or sends you an unexpectedly large check.
- Offers you a job without ever interacting with you.
- Offers to send you a check before you do any work.
- Requests personal information from you such as Social Security Number, bank account numbers, PIN number, PayPal account, credit card information, copies of your passport or license and/or other personal documents.
- Requests that you forward, transfer or send by courier (i.e. FedEx, UPS), or “wire” any money to any employer, for any employer, using your personal account(s).
- Requests to have funds or paychecks directly deposited into any accounts by a new employer. (Arrangements for direct deposit or paycheck should be made during your first day or week of actual employment on site – not before.)
- Requests a fee to obtain a job (but there are some rare exceptions – so be careful, and consult with Career Development and Success first).
If you are wary of a job posting or email, or have a suspicious interaction with an employer, ask yourself the following questions:
- Does this job promise a large salary for almost no work? Especially if I have little or none of the required experience?
- Does this position offer me a large payment or reward in exchange for allowing the use of my bank account?
- Does the contact's email address match the company's website domain? (i.e. [email protected] rather than [email protected])?
- Are there multiple misspellings in the job posting or email?
- Does the posting focus more on the money I will make rather than the responsibilities of the job?
- Does this opportunity sound too good to be true?
Researching Possible Scams
You can check to see if a company is legitimate through various websites (some listed below).
- Better Business Bureau: http://www.bbb.org/
- Chamber of Commerce: http://www.uschamber.com/
- Hoover’s: http://www.hoovers.com/
- White Pages: http://www.whitepages.com/business
If you contact the company directly, you can ask if the person actually works there. Don’t share personal information unless you are confident that the person and the company they work for are legitimate.
Protect Your Personal and Private Information
Many job applications will ask you to provide your social security number and date of birth, but this information is not solicited over the phone or email. This information is typically a part of a formal job application that candidates complete in writing, often on the day of their first in-person interview.
Always know with whom you’re sharing personal information – and how it will be used. If someone asks for sensitive personal information, get the person’s name, the company they work for and the phone number. If they hesitate, something’s up!
What to do if you Discover You’ve Been Scammed
If you have encountered a fraudulent posting, company or organization, please contact the Rider University Career Development and Success Office by phone at 609-896-5058 or email at [email protected]. We will investigate the posting and take the appropriate action.
You should also contact the Rider University Public Safety Department at 609-896-5029.
If you have sent money to a fraudulent employer, you should contact your bank and/or credit card company immediately to close the account and dispute the charges.
If the incident occurred completely over the internet, you should file an incident report with The United States Department of Justice (www.cybercrime.gov) and the Federal Trade Commission (http://www.ftc.gov).
Interviewing Scams
Follow these safety tips when going on an interview:
- Always ensure it is in a public place and that someone knows of your plans to interview and the location.
- If your instincts tell you it’s suspicious, it probably is.
- Do not feel pressured to give personally identifiable information in an application if you are not comfortable during an interview or during online/phone correspondence.
- Ask to take the document with you to complete and return so you have time to research the issue further.
Remember, if you are suspicious of a posting or email, end all communication with the employer and contact the Rider University Career Development and Success Office at (609)-896-5000 (ext. 5058).