Fraudulent Employer & Job Posting Warning and Disclaimer

The Notre Dame of Maryland University Career Center posts job listings for the convenience of students. The university does not endorse or recommend employers, and a posting does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation. The university explicitly makes no representations or guarantees about job listings or the accuracy of the information provided by the employer. The university is not responsible for safety, wages, working conditions or any other aspect of off-campus employment or pre-employment screening without limitation. It is the responsibility of students to perform due diligence in researching employers when applying for or accepting private, off-campus employment or pre-screening appointments and to thoroughly research the facts and reputation of each organization to which they are applying. Students should be prudent and use common sense and caution when applying for or accepting any position, and they should review the cautionary information we have included below in order to be better informed of potential fraudulent or improper practices in order to protect themselves from harm. 

All job listings are posted at the discretion of the NDMU Career Center. We will not post jobs that appear to discriminate against applicants on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, age, national origin, disabled or Vietnam Era veteran status, sexual orientation, disability or gender. The NDMU Career Center also reserves the right to refuse to post jobs that do not support the interests of the university.

The NDMU Career Center offers Handshake, a career services online platform, as a resource for employers to connect with NDMU students and alumni seeking career-related opportunities including internships, co-ops, and part and full-time jobs. NDMU is not responsible for the content of any information provided by any person or organization on the Handshake website, nor is NDMU responsible for the conduct of any such person or organization. Because we endeavor to keep fraudulent and scam postings off Handshake, our Career Center team attempts to validate the requestor seeking to make an employer account and/or position available to our students and alumni. Unfortunately, due to the high volume of employers seeking access to Handshake and postings, it is impossible to ensure that every employer is legitimate. If you suspect any fraudulent or other inappropriate actions involving Handshake, please immediately report it to NDMU Career Center  via phone at 410.532.5387 or via email at career@ndm.edu.

Furthermore, It is not uncommon in this digital age for your personal contact information to be found elsewhere on a legitimate website outside of NDMU or Handshake. As a result, it is possible that you could receive an unsolicited email, text message or phone call from a fraudulent contact regarding an alleged employment or other opportunity.  You should be vigilant in researching any unsolicited contacts. Review the following tips on how to vet potentially fraudulent employers and job postings.

We encourage both students and employers to provide feedback to our office regarding their experience through the use of our service. For additional information regarding our services, contact NDMU Career Center via phone at 410.532.5387 or via email at career@ndm.edu.

We reserve the right to update this warning and disclaimer notice regarding the use of these services.  We will include a statement on our website in the event we materially modify the notice. 

Additional Information

Assessing and Avoiding Fraudulent Outreach & Postings

Use caution when receiving contact from potential fraudulent employers. 

While student contact information is often already publicly available on the internet and elsewhere, out of an abundance of caution, we recommend that you take care when you are contacted by someone you do not know via phone or email, especially if the communication is unexpected and references your resume. Phishing is one of the most common forms of online threats, and everyone should employ common safety procedures to protect themselves from phishing incidents, including:

  • Check that the sender's email address matches the sender's name.
  • Be on the lookout for misspellings and poor grammar, which can be an indication that the email did not originate from a trusted source.
  • Watch for unsolicited emails, phone calls or text messages that push you to act hastily or that seem too good to be true
  • Before clicking on a link, hover your mouse over the link. This will show you the actual web address embedded in the link.  Check this against the actual web address of the trusted source.
  • If you are still unsure, contact the source through another trusted channel (for example, a customer support number listed on the official website) to verify the email is legitimate.

It’s important to always vet any employer outreach through Handshake, any other recruiting platform, email or over the phone.  

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 NDMU Career Center immediately:

  • Offers to pay a large amount of money for very little work or sends you a 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) or that you obtain and forward any prepaid gift cards.
  • 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.)
Additional Red Flags to Assess Suspicious Employers and Job Postings
  • Does this job promise a large salary for almost no work? Especially if you have little or none of the required experience? Does the posting focus more on the money you will make rather than the responsibilities of the job?
  • Does this position offer you a large payment or reward in exchange for allowing the use of your bank account?
  • Does the contact's email address match the company's website domain? (i.e. JohnSmith@gmail.com rather than JohnSmith@companyname.com)?
  • Are there multiple misspellings in the job posting or email?
  • Does this opportunity sound too good to be true?
  • Read all information carefully. If the opportunity sounds too good to be true, it probably is! Just because a job lead appears in a legitimate publication, it does not mean that the job or company is, necessarily, legitimate. Forget getting rich quick.

Visit the company website.

  • If the company in question doesn't have a website or the website does not seem to match the advertised job, there may be cause for concern. 
  • Note the professionalism of the web site. Is there specific contact information? Are jobs and career information actually posted on the site? 
  • Lack of pertinent information is a red flag.

Investigate the company's references. 

  • If you are not sure if a company is legitimate, request a list of other employees or contractors and then contact the references to see how satisfied they are.
  • If a company is not willing to share references (names, email addresses and phone numbers), this is a red flag.

Poor Communication Skills

  • Be careful when an employer cannot communicate accurately or effectively on the website, by email, over the telephone, etc. If communications are sloppy, how professional is the organization?

Exercise Extreme Caution When Asked to Pay Any Fees

Most legitimate employers will not charge to hire you! Don't send money for work-at-home directories, advice on getting hired, company information or anything else related to the job. There are some well-known internship programs that do require payment to place you in internships. Remember that Handshake and other databases can provide UD students with free help in locating internships.

  • Do not give your personal bank account, PayPal account or credit card information to a new employer.
  • Do not agree 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.)
  • Do not 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). Do not obtain or forward any prepaid gift cards.
  • Do not transfer money and retain a portion for payment.
  • Do not respond to suspicious and/or “too good to be true” unsolicited job emails.
  • In general, applicants do not pay a fee to obtain a job (but there are some rare exceptions – so be careful, and consult with a professional at the Career Center first).

Review Payment Information

  • When information about salary is not listed on a job posting, try to find out if you will receive a salary or be paid on commission. 
  • Find out how much you will be paid, how often you will be paid and how you will be paid. 
  • If the company does not pay an hourly rate or a salary, be cautious and investigate further. 
Additional Research Tools for Possible Employer and Job Posting Scams

You can check to see if a company is legitimate through various websites (some listed below).

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.

Visit the Federal Trade Commission for more examples and signs of a job scam.

Remember, if you are suspicious of a posting or email, end all communication with the employer and contact the NDMU Career Center via phone at 410.532.5387 or via email at career@ndm.edu

Interview 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.
  • Is the interview time at a reasonable time and day? Not Saturday morning at 7:00 am.
  • If a first interview was only a few minutes long, and the employer requests a second interview, it is probably not a good sign of integrity.
  • 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.

Identity Theft

One type of scam targeting job seekers is related to identity theft.
The person behind the scam finds a legitimate job posting on a posting board. They then find out the real names of people that work in HR at that company.
They contact qualified individuals, posing as a company representative. In most cases, they go as far as conducting multiple interviews.
They send an offer letter and ask for standard pre-hire documentation which contains your social security number and banking information.
Steps you can take:

  • Check the email address of the person you are corresponding with. Companies will use email addresses that end in some variation of their company name.
  • Check the company website or call the direct line to validate the opportunity.
  • Reach out to the individual that is recruiting you on LinkedIn, ask to connect, and send them a message to validate the correspondence is real.
  • Legitimate companies will not hire you without a video or in-person interview. Request one if it is not offered.
What To Do If You Have Been Scammed
  • Please contact the NDMU Career Center via phone at 410.532.5387 or email career@ndm.edu, so the employer and posting can be investigated and appropriate action can be taken.
  • You should immediately contact the local police. The police are responsible for conducting an investigation (regardless of whether the scam artist is local or in another state).
  • 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 and the Federal Trade Commission.