Recognize and Avoid Phishing Scams
Thursday, July 20, 2023
New York Institute of Technology Vancouver campus has received an alarming increase of reports in phishing scams targeted at international students. These scams are often disguised as lucrative job offers, preying on the financial needs and aspirations of students.
These scams involve email messages or job postings that appear to be from reputable companies. They offer attractive employment opportunities and request personal and financial information under the guise of job applications or identity verification. Unfortunately, these are not legitimate job offers but are instead attempts to steal sensitive personal information or cause monetary loss.
As an international student, it’s crucial to stay vigilant and discerning when it comes to online communications. Here are a few red flags to watch out for:
- Unsolicited Offers: Be skeptical of job offers that come unsolicited, especially if they’re from companies you’ve never applied to or interacted with.
- Request for Sensitive Information: Legitimate employers will never ask for sensitive information like your bank account details, social security number, or passport number via email.
- Too Good to be True: If a job offer seems too good to be true, it probably is. Be wary of high-paying jobs requiring little experience or effort.
- Poor Grammar and Spelling: Professional companies take care to ensure their communications are error-free. Emails with poor grammar or spelling errors are a telltale sign of a scam.
- Be Cautious: Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), and Canadian Border Services (CBSA) will not call you, and will not ask for money or personal information by phone. If you call them, you will have to identify yourself.
- Never feel like you need to pay anyone money right away: Ask for an employee number and hang up. You can call back the company (find their number online) and ask about your situation to confirm.
- Be suspicious of anyone asking you to make a payment by bitcoin
Remember, the New York Tech Vancouver Campus is committed to your safety and security. If you receive any suspicious emails or job offers, please report them to the Vancouver IT department immediately at vancouverit@nyit.edu or call 315.999.1094. Stay alert and protect your personal information.
If you feel that you have been the victim of a scam/fraud, you should report this to the police to prevent further loss, and inform Vancouver IT Department.