Do you think you may be the victim of a scam? Here are some tips and next steps:
First and foremost, cease all communication with anyone you suspect is trying to, or has scammed you.
The next thing you can do is report the scam. It is important to contact your Career Center or the proper authorities as soon as possible to prevent others from falling prey to the same scam.
If you have any concerns about a job you find on 12twenty or receive any communication or job offer that concerns you, please report the job immediately to your Career Center.
If you believe that someone is conducting scams under the name of a legitimate business, you may want to contact your Career Center. Additionally, you or your Career Center can contact that business and let them know that their name is being used for fraudulent purposes.
If you lost money, provided sensitive private information about yourself to someone who you believe is a scammer, or inadvertently participated in possible illegal activity, you may want to contact your local police or cyber crime division.
You can also file a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center.
If you had a monetary loss, shared your bank account details, or believe you are in danger of identity theft, you may also want to report the scam to your bank or financial institution.
If you think fraudulent unemployment claims may have been filed in your name, you can report a complaint with the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) and with the appropriate state website or tip hotline.
If you think you are at risk for identity theft, consider consulting the information provided by the Federal Trade Commission. You can report fraud to the FTC here.
If you think your computer or device may have been infected with malware or compromised in any way, run a virus check, make sure your computer’s security is up to date, and change the passwords to your online accounts.