Western student loses nearly $2,500 through an internet job scam
A Western Washington University student lost nearly $2,500 through an internet job scam last week.
On Feb. 21, a student contacted University Police to report a possible fraud incident. The student told police she applied for an internet job on Jan. 27 and received a cashier’s check for $2,450 made out to her with a return address out of Georgia, according to Paul Cocke, a WWU spokesperson.
The student was to deposit the check into her account and then purchase gift cards, scratch off the numbers and text them to a different phone number, Cocke said. The girl told police she was expected to make $450, Cocke said.
The student deposited the check and purchased the items, but then learned the check was fraudulent and $2,400 that she had used to purchase the gift cards was deducted from her account, Cocke said.
He said University Police are investigating the incident as a felony theft.
In an earlier story in The Bellingham Herald, the Federal Trade Commission offered these tips to help avoid scams:
▪ Spot imposters: Scammers pretend to be someone you should trust. Don’t send money or give personal information in response to an unexpected request.
▪ Do online searches: Type the company or product names into a search engine along with words, such as “review,” “complaint” or “scam.”
▪ Don’t believe your caller ID: Technology makes it easy for scammers to fake caller ID information.
▪ Don’t pay upfront for a promise: If someone asks you to pay in advance for debt relief, loan offers, mortgage assistance, a job or to receive a prize, they could be planning to take your money and run.
▪ Consider how you pay: Paying with a credit card offers fraud protection, while money is difficult to get back when you wire or send cash or gift cards.
▪ Talk to someone: As Beckley said, run it by someone you trust to see if it sounds like a scam.
▪ Hang up on robocalls: If you hear a recorded sales pitch, hang up and report it to the FTC. These calls are illegal.
▪ Be skeptical about free offers: Some companies like to hook you with free trials and then bill you every month until you cancel. Always research the company before agreeing to anything.
▪ Don’t deposit a check and wire money back to someone: Uncovering a fake check can take weeks for a bank, and if one does turn out to be fraudulent, you are responsible for repaying the bank.
▪ Sign up for free scam alerts: The FTC offers them at ftc.gov/scams.
